Letting Go
by swanxsong
Summary: Eliot is injured while saving Parker from certain death. When the Hitter and the Theif are forced to get closer than either of them ever imagine they will both be forced to let go of their pasts if they want to try for a future together.
1. Chapter 1

Sixteen flights and over a dozen men in the stairwell and Eliot was all but out of breath and bloody by the time he reached the roof of the forty story building. But he couldn't stop. Even though every exhalation burned like fire in his chest and every inhalation made his broken ribs creak and pop along his left side. His mouth was foul with the taste of tainted copper and blood flowed into his already anger red field of vision from a gash above his right eye. A violent kick to his right knee and the resulting damage would also go unheeded as he raced for the door at the top of the flight. A silent prayer played across his lips, a plea to God or whatever higher power watched out for hitters and thieves.

"Let me make it...please God don't let it be too late."

Down on the ground Sophie and Nate looked up anxiously, powerlessly. Hand in hand they waited for something more than screams and muttering; or rasping breaths and the sounds of physical violence to fill their coms. They could do nothing, not from where they stood, they just had to trust Eliot and hope.

Alec was typing away frantically, his attention split between the sounds coming in over the earbuds and the multiple tasks at hand. He couldn't get too caught up in what was happening in the building. If he did he'd never get the system shut down or the elevators operational. He had to trust their hitter to make it there in time.

Eliot had been on the twenty third floor, the elevators had been shut down and Hardison hadn't yet been able to get them running again, he also hadn't yet disabled the electronic security system that had locked down the main entrances and exits to the building. That was when Eliot had taken off running, the first five flights had been nothing, the equivalent of a few minutes on a stair climber to a man that could have jogged halfway up Everest. But between thirty and the roof there had been complications. Men had come off the floors into the stairwell, they'd had the higher ground and for five flights it had been three to four on one and advancement had become a step by step struggle.

A struggle he loathed as he was forced to hear her screams. Parker dangled from her zip line knowing that she could neither climb higher or drop far enough to save herself while one of the three men on the roof pulled a sizable blade from a sheath on his calf and made to cut the only strap that kept her from falling thirty eight stories to the street below.

"Eliot...hurry! Please..."

She screamed and fumbled for either a foot or hand hold on the seamless glass and metal wall. She dropped another half story with a scream as Eliot slammed bodily into the man hacking thru the line. Granted the tackle got the man to drop her line but it also left the Hitter open for body shots, kicks and a brutal pummeling from the other two. But that was his job, he took the assault so the rest of the team could do what they had to do. He had fought off more men, under more hopeless odds for a lot less victory than Parkers life. But that didn't make it easy, he felt his fractured ribs give in to a boot in the side. It robbed him of any oxygen that remained in his lungs and black spots danced in his field of vision. But hearing Parker screaming in stereo, only a few feet away and still in danger made him fight back the pain and the damage and he swept one of his attackers ankles out from under him and snagged another by the boot and sent him sprawling onto his back. Eliot fought his way up to a crouch, a desperate second wind cleared his vision, flagging strength renewed and his actions regained that calculated perfection they carried when he was on the top of his game. In comparison the motions, the strikes and dodges of his attackers seemed awkward and out of sync. The two of them were down in a matter of moments, but that still left the man with the knife. The man that had thankfully turned his attention away from Parker and on to Eliot, the one that hadn't a mark on him while Spencer was broken and battered.

Parker tried to climb up the lines but her arms were shaking from the effort and she was making progress slowly at best as Eliot and the last man standing threw punches and kicks almost three stories above her. And then he was there, leaning far over the side, grabbing for the line trying to haul her up while the single tether holding her was fraying. He pulled while she struggled to climb up all the while the line was growing weaker and in a matter of moments she could be plummeting...and then he was gone. One of the men was up and he hauled the Hitter back, Eliot was holding on to the line for all he was worth as he struggled and was dropped on his already wounded side, the world dimmed for a moment as the air in his lungs escaped in a rush and he turned onto his back. Taking advantage of the opportunity the man got in a few good blows, forcing Eliot to roll onto his stomach to protect himself from the kicks. Then seeing the line clamped in a death grip in the Hitters hands the attackers expression turned cruel and calculated as his boots came down repeatedly on Eliot clenched fists. Even then Eliot wasn't letting go, he pushed back the agony and it was exactly that as small bones cracked and skin split and bled, he twisted and he turned and he fought with everything he had, every skill he had learned, he kicked and kneed and centered his hits on the mans legs, he'd bring him down to the gravel rooftop with him. Once the man was on his knees Eliot kicked up sharply, almost impossibly, and his entire body turned onto his back as he landed a heel into the mans jaw with enough force that it actually spun him a full turn before he dropped stone cold dead to the ground with his neck broken. Eliot ignored this; he crawled back to the edge of the rooftop and started hauling on the line with everything he had left, which sadly wasn't as much as he wished it would have been. Parker was holding on tight, eyes closed and tears streaming down her face. All that was holding her from death was Eliot.

"Don't let go Parker...you hear me."

He sputtered as he wound the line around his elbow twisting his arm to shorten the distance between them, his damaged hands barely capable of performing the act, but somehow he was doing it. The line was shortening, she was coming up slowly, but she was coming up.

"Sparky...hurry, please hurry..."

She turned her gaze up to him and the sight of her tears was as heart rending to the hitter as the blood on his face was to the thief. She had seen him battered before, but never for her sake, never to save her, not just for her. For others yes, more important people than she saw herself as, yes, but not for her.

"I am not letting go. So neither do you. Your almost there darling. Your almost there."

He released the line with one hand and reached down for hers, clamping onto her wrist, his mutilated fingers not half as strong as they should have been. She saw the damage then, as she wrapped her fingers around his forearm and pulled, pulled as hard as she could, tried to help.

Finally she was there, her hands on the edge of the roof, he was still hauling her up, groaning and heaving with the effort until he had her in his arms, she wrapped herself around him and he didn't try to stop her, no matter how much it hurt, and it did hurt. He had more bruises than he could count, and his broken ribs were screaming. But he was not letting go. She sobbed and buried her face in his neck, he held her and kissed her hair, rested his cheeks on it and shook all over from the effort, the exhaustion and the feel of Parker safe in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Full minutes later Sophie and Nate emerged on the roof, to find the Hitter and the Thief still tangled up in one anothers arms. Seeing Eliot bloody was hardly an unaccustomed sight, so their first concern was still for Parker. Seeing her shuddering and crying in his arms was indeed something distressing for them.

"Parker..."

Sophie leaned in and brushed back the blonde hair for the girls tear stained cheek, her voice was a whisper. Eliot didn't even respond to their presence, he wasn't moving, his eyes were closed and he felt nothing but Parker against his chest, and heard nothing but her calming sobs and the rise and fall of her slowly steadying breaths.

"Parker, are you alright?"

"I'm okay...Eliot...he wouldn't let go. He saved me...Sophie...Nate..."

Parker looked up and saw their leader coming closer to her, as Nate knelt down at her side she looked up to him and coughed on her tears.

"He saved me. I thought I was going to die, but he wouldn't let go.."

Eliot looked up then, the bruises on his face were just beginning to show their color, and the swelling had hardly begun, but already he looked bad. Parker lifted a small, gentle hand and cupped his cheek, biting her lips when she saw the extent of the damage, and knowing that it was nothing yet. It would look far worse before it even began to look better.

"He's not...I think he needs a doctor...I think he's hurt...like real hurt. Alec..."

Parker sniffled and wiped at her eyes before she continued, taking some control of the situation, a very surprising turn of events.

"Alec...do you have the insurance cards? Eliot needs to go..."

"I do not."

The Hitter returned to their company enough to argue, his voice didn't have much venom in it, and it sure as hell didn't sound assuring, especially not to Parker, not when she could hear the way he was breathing. Parker turned his chin in her hand and made him look at her, eye to eye, face close to face.

"For me? Please...you made it up here for me and if anything happened to you because of it I could never forgive myself. Please...just so I don't worry...please?"

Hardison was rattling off information thru the coms, something about stealing a police call for a car accident that had come thru on the wire just a few moments ago. They'd need an explanation and as long as hey went to a different hospital no one should be the wiser once the 'ambulance' claimed they were finished at the site. Meanwhile the real ambulance could g on it's way, treat the real injured form the crash and take them where they needed to go. He hadn't seen Eliot for himself, had no idea what he was dealing with but a car crash could result in a number of injuries, nothing was really out of the question. Parker was very slowly, very carefully removing herself from Eliot's arms, she didn't want him to let go anymore than he wanted to do so but they needed to get moving. For all their sakes and not just Eliot's, getting caught up here was not something they could afford. Parker made it to her feet with Sophie's hand on her elbow, once she made it to standing she felt more steady that she thought she would, but looking at Eliot helped. He had done almost impossible things to save her, the least she could do was stay strong to help him now.

"C'mon Sparky we need to blow this Popsicle stand."

Nate came in on the other side and between the two of them they got Eliot to his feet. His strength was failing him, the adrenaline was seeping away and he was swaying where he stood. Parker situated herself against his side and eased his arm over her shoulder, getting her first look at just one of his his broken hands in the process.

"Oh, Eliot...oh my..."

She stopped herself short, she could sympathize later. He wouldn't want a show made at all never mind with everyone just standing here, so she just shouldered his weight, the slight bit he was putting on her and started them turning back to the door. Nate took the Hitter's other arm, seeing how he was favoring his right leg, thankfully the stairwell was wide enough that they could walk three abreast.

"Only two flights to the elevator Eliot. Hardison got them running."

Nate encouraged his Hitter's unsteady steps, it wouldn't be far. Just two flights, the elevator down and Alec was already waiting at the door for them. They'd take him to Saint Elizabeth's...Parker would pose as his passenger, Alice Practor and Hardison would be a concerned bystander with the van that had driven them here. Nate and Sophie could arrive just slightly later they'd be Nick and Stephanie Spendler, brother and sister in law of the injured Ethan Spendler. If they slipped on the names at least they were close enough to cover easily. Emergency rooms were chaotic messes at the best of times, a name slip up wouldn't be overly noticed as long as they were close enough to the real ones that they sounded even close to similar.

And the hospital was chaos. Eliot was taken back immediately. Parker played her part to perfection, real tears streaked her cheek and sobs parted her lips between words as she rushed into the lobby and right up to the desk begging for help. Eliot was none to happy about all the hysterics on his account, but when Parker leaned in and whispered to him that anything that got them in faster got them out faster he quieted down and let an orderly help him from the reclined passenger seat of the van and into the waiting wheelchair. They whisked him back pretty quickly and Parker was escorted to the desk where she dug in Sophie's Coach handbag and handed over Ethan Spendler's insurance card and identification. Then, all they could do was wait.

A little over half an hour later Sophie and Nate arrived and sat with the little thief in the waiting room. Hardison would leave then, his good Samaritan part exited the stage seeing as how family arrived to wait with the worried fiancee of the accident victim. He'd head back to Nate's apartment work and work on the wrap up of their successful, if costly job while staying in contact with them over their coms.

"I told them we were in an accident..blamed some malfunction in the airbags for his hands being so torn up...they didn't bat an eyelash...did you see his hands Nate, they looked horrible."

Parker was simply beside herself, knowing that most of the injuries Eliot was suffered had been inflicted upon him entirely for her sake. She'd make it up to him, she promised. She'd be quiet, and she wouldn't poke a single bruise, she wouldn't tease him, she'd cook. God help them all she'd even cook until Eliot could do so again. She hoped everyone liked mac and cheese with tuna fish and fortune cookies. Because that was about it as far as her culinary skills...maybe Eliot could supervise and she'd just do the actual cooking...yeah that sounded like a much better idea.

The brain, the grifter and the thief waited impatiently for almost two hours before anyone came out looking for persons related to Ethan Spendler. Nate emphasized the name of the Doctor, one Mitchell Cossman and Hardison typed up his credentials and read them back while they were escorted into a small room just off of the lobby to have a conference with the man they found to be one of the best orthopedic surgeons in Boston. At least Eliot was in good hands.

Dr. Cossman turned down the lights and turned on the Xray board in the room and quickly snapped up a half dozen xrays they had taken and developed of Eliot's injuries.

"It's not my style to sugar coat things, but I am pleased to say that none of Ethan's injuries are life threatening. We are still waiting for some test results, a Cat scan and an MRI to be exact but these are our initial findings..."

With that Dr. Cossman began to detail a laundry list of injuries including a fractured cheekbone, a moderate concussion, four fractured ribs and what they believed at this point to be a sprained right knee.

"Ethan's most concerning injuries are those to his hands. His has numerous fractures in the small bones, or carpals, as well as five broken fingers and a broken thumb. For the time being we've done what we could to set the broken bones and have applied splints and bandages to both hands. In about a week we'll reevaluate and decide if surgery is necessary, and I am nearly positive it will be...in short he's going to be without the use of both hands for eight to twelve weeks approximately."

With that he turned the overhead lights back on and shut off the light board, and took a seat at the table with the three con artists and discussed the very practical matters of Eliot's injuries.

"We would like to keep him here over night due to the concussion but he is steadfastly refusing to put it mildly. However, he will require some nursing care if he is to recuperate at home. I'm sure you can imagine the multitude of daily tasks that he'll be temporarily incapable of performing for himself. And in addition to those many tasks, he's also in pain form his broken ribs, and unable to bear weight on his injured knee. He won't be able to use crutches, although he is arguing the necessity of a wheelchair almost as vehemently as he fought against a hospital stay, one will be required which the hospital will be happy to rent to you.

So I suppose my question to you three is, who will be taking care of Ethan once he is released? It's my understanding that he lives alone..."

The doctor didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before Parker interrupted. She had been cataloging all of Eliot's injuries as soon as the xrays had been clipped to the board and the doctor had begun detailing them. In her mind, it was the very least she could do so she made the offer without a breath of hesitation.

"I will. I mean, we don't live together, but I can stay with him...at his place...and it won't be weird or anything because we're engaged...to be married...I'm going to be his wife...so I have seen...uhm...his...everything..."

Sophie reached over and placed her hand over Parker's to quiet down the thief when she began to over explain her fictional relationship. With a reassuring smile she added her own intentions and Nate's as well.

"We all love Ethan and want to do whatever is needed to make him comfortable at home and help him heal. But I think what would really help Alice now is if she could see him doctor? Can she go back and sit with him while the three of us take care of the remaining details?"

"Of course, he's resting now, and it will probably be an hour before the test results are in. If they confirm my diagnosis of his injuries he should be ready to leave shortly. I'll have a nurse take you back to sit with him. He's a lucky man to have a loving family and such a pretty fiancee to help him during this trying time. I'm sure he'll be healthy and healed in plenty of time for the wedding. When is the big day?"

He looked at Parker with a kind smile as he made polite small talk, that was geared toward reassuring a nervous bride to be, but left the thief at a momentary loss for the details. She blinked rapidly and laughed nervously before blurting out the date.

"Halloween? October 31st...we wanted to do something...uhm spooky?"

By then they were heading out the door, and the doctor who was accustomed to seeing and hearing far stranger things from distraught loved ones didn't bat an eyelash as he handed Parker off to a nurse to have her shown back to where they were keeping Eliot.


	3. Chapter 3

It seemed like such a long walk. Like her feet were weighed down by a hundred pounds of ball bearings or something. Even though the nurse tried to make chit chat and say encouraging things Parker wasn't really interested, and small talk was hardly her forte to begin with; so she paid it little attention.

"He was a real handful when they brought him in, but he's calmed down since. Such a shame to see that face all busted up, but you must be used to that by now..."

"What do you mean? It's not like we wreck cars everyday...or something..."

Parker stopped in her tracks, exactly what was this woman accusing her of? Did she know what they did, or who they were, the thief glanced around nervously looking for possible exits that she could sneak a battered Eliot thru when the nurse explained herself.

"The scars hunny. He's got a lot of scars...and his xrays...what's he do for a living? I don't know if I've ever seen so many fractures, and so much scarring before...not that it takes much away from the appeal. So we, the nurses and I that is, were wondering, what does he do? Security? Undercover police work?"

"Stunt man...he's a stunt man."

Parker took a breath and answered without hesitation, but she had to wonder..none of them had so much as seen Eliot shirtless, so how many scars were there? He was so private, even with the team. When he was hurt he closed himself off. He'd stick around for the wrap up, make sure all the loose strings were tied up, hell perform triage on everyone else as necessary, even cook for them. But when it came time to take care of Eliot, Eliot went into hiding to lick his own wounds. And no matter how soon another job came up he was there, sometimes bruised, sometimes stitched, but if he had suffered much worse he never let them know. You started to assume he couldn't really be hurt, but then something happened like today and you saw xrays and spoke to doctors and you had to start wondering just how often he was way more injured than he let on, and how he hid it.

"He worked for Tom Cruise in that Knight and Day movie."

Parker smiled a bit thinking of that, she'd gotten a good laugh over the possibility of it. It was just a little joke concerning Eliot's height, he wasn't exactly tall, even though he was pure muscle and would outweigh Tom Cruise by a bit with all that corded bulk. But if she or Sophie wore high enough heels they could look their hitter dead in the eye. So yes there had been countless references to them standing in holes during a con so he wouldn't look so short in comparison.

They stopped then and the nurse pulled back a blue curtain, and the conversation stopped abruptly. Parker was used to controlling her nerves, you had to be in a room filled with laser traps or compression floors, her job required it. But right now she wished Nate or Sophie was with her, she didn't know if she could face Eliot alone. Not knowing what he'd done for her, knowing he'd been hurt for her. She swallowed hard and the nurse reached out and took her hand. And for once Parker didn't flinch, pull away or even gape at the other woman like she was mentally unstable for touching her, she just let it happen, took some reassurance from it and nodded silently.

"He's going to be alright, doesn't look as pretty as your used to seeing him I'm sure, but he'll heal up just fine. Make sure you pick up the script for the antibiotic salve and use it on the gash above his eye three times a day. It'll prevent scarring."

Pretty? Not a term she'd normally use for their Hitter. But she had most certainly seen a lot of women go all weak in the knees for him. He could be charming, attractive, dorky, cute, a million things when he was trying to be. Same way he could be threatening, lethal and frightening when that was required.

"Absolutely." She nodded and replied as she stepped into the curtained off area and closed the drapes behind her. Her eyes were closed, and she only opened them in slow degrees, starting with the foot of the bed she'd work her way up until she was looking at his face. She started with bare feet...no foot...a thin white blanket covered his left leg, he should have a warmer blanket it was never warm enough in these places, when they got him home she'd buy him a really good blanket. Something you could curl up with and be cozy. Something in rabbit, well faux rabbit. Real furs gave her the creeps. Who wanted to wear a bunch of corpses? Her gaze traveled up the right leg, bare calf, strong muscle, coarse hairs, then the lower ridge of the knee brace, which made her wince in sympathy. She'd sprained a knee a few times, she knew how it felt, she'd worn the same brace and at best the heavy navy blue number made you walk all stiff an ungainly, at worse you couldn't walk on it at all. Or at least you didn't want to, when it came to her limbs Parker tended to heed doctor's warnings, she needed them to be 125%, and aggravating a joint injury was a really bad idea for her, for anyone. The brace extended up to the middle of his thigh and she caught a glimpse of gray cotton boxer briefs before the blanket covered his hips. She wondered how much luck she'd have convincing Eliot to stay off his leg while it healed, her best guess was little to none. Cornflower blue eyes continued their long journey, it was white blanket and sheets up until his chest, then it was bare skin and bruises...ugly bruises. All different shades of black, purple and blue with just hints of green and sick yellow at the furthest reaches. She bit hard on her lower lip, the room so silent she could hear him breathing, raspy, shallow, pained. She saw some of the scars then too, thin lines and thicker threads decorating his chest and stomach, they caught her attention for a minute or two. Bad yes, they told a variety of tales but they weren't horrible. Not in comparison to all that muscle, not that she'd ever doubted it, but the fact that Eliot was built like a brick wall, with the most amazing abs she'd ever seen, all those tiny intercostal muscles, wow...she'd just never really considered the whole package. It made her swallow hard before her perusal moved up to his shoulders, then to his face. His head was turned slightly and the bruised side showed, his eye was swollen shut; fractured cheekbone beneath and a sutured gash above. They hadn't cleaned off the dried blood yet, and it looked awful. She felt an urge to kiss the battered side of his face but paused when he shifted with a grunt and her eyes darted guiltily away, afraid she'd get caught staring at the good and the bad. He lifted a hand then and let it drop with a groan, her eyes finally moved to the worst of his injuries, the ones she knew would be the hardest for him to contend with, the ones she felt the most guilt over. His hands were trapped in a thick covering of padded splinting and ace bandages. From almost his elbows to the tips of his fingers, both broken hands were trapped, on the left only his thumb and the next finger were left unwrapped, on the right they had spared nothing.

"Oh boy, Sparky your gonna hate that."

"I already do. How long you planning to stand there and stare?"

He turned his chin then and one bleary orb looked up to her face as he snarled and snipped and tried to push up on his elbows to sit but the effort just left him wincing and breathless.

"Woah tiger...stay down now. Just waiting for test results and finishing up paperwork, then we'll get ya out of here."

Parker rushed to his side, not really sure what to do, or what to say but acting instinctively after the hitter fell back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. Those gentle, dexterous fingers brushed a lock of hair away from the bruised side of his face, digits danced over his features able to pluck a single strand away from the fresh stitches above his eye without so much as brushing the threads.

"Rest, please."

She whispered her voice soft and sweet and imploring as she ran the backs of her knuckles along her scruffy jawline.

"I'm sorry Eliot. I'm so sorry...I didn't listen. I shouldn't have run for the line, I thought I could get out and down before anyone would even see me. I'm the ghost, I'm quick and small and I sneak right past but this time...this time if it wasn't for you I'd be a splatter. A Parker shaped splatter of guts, and blood, and tissue, and black, and..."

"I get it. Really I get it. I thought of it, when you started screaming in my damn ear. It was all I thought of...you'd make a damn mess, a crazy damn mess sweetheart."

He forced a faint smile and she mirrored it, although her eyes were sad, his voice was weak and exhausted and even though he was trying to joke, she knew it was for her sake. She was glad his eyes were closed then as her thoughts careened from the Parker shaped splatter on the sidewalk to Eliot and everything he did, everything he gave and every chance he took just to be there for them, for all of them.

"You are going to need rest, and someone to keep an eye on you for awhile there Sparky. I'm your man, well, your girl, I guess. Since I'm not a man, obviously. I don't have any manly bits. The nurses here they all noticed your manly bits though even though we're supposed to be married there's a few women here that sure do seem to want you to stay awhile with them. I guess I should be jealous, wait I think I am jealous. Not that I haven't noticed you have manly bits, your bits are pretty damned obvious...not that I'm looking...I mean not that I'm blind. I am not blind..."

"Parker, darling...my heads pounding, it hurts when I breath and I know you mean well. But I can only handle so much crazy and still be able to stand being here, so could you just...pipe down? Hmmm?"

He waited a few seconds to see if she'd really comply with his request. He'd worded it very nicely, or at least he thought he had, he sure had tried to. It meant a lot that she tried, he knew it was next to impossible for her.

Sh stood there in silence looking him over form top to bottom again and then again. She wouldn't be able to pinpoint what possessed her to do what she did, call it appreciation. That about sounded right to her. She leaned in and pressed a very soft, extremely gentle kiss just above the stitches in his forehead. Before his eyes fluttered open she whispered.

"I know you want me to zip it but I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you, Eliot. For saving my life for saving all our lives, for everything...thank you. Now I'm gonna find you something to wear cause we can't have you leaving here in your shorts. The nurses would riot and bar the exits."

Before she left him to do some recon she found him another blanket, they had them stashed all over the place and yet they were so stingy with them. She shook it out and then draped it over him and pulled it up to his shoulders this time. His breathing was soft and even, but she could hear the stress in each inhalation and exhale. She knew it would only get better with time but it was still hard to listen to. Seeing him like this was hard; their Eliot was always so strong, so tough, so resilient. And here he was beaten, bloody and broken...but he'd be alright and that was what mattered most, That was what she planned to see happen, she'd make sure of it.

She left then, and made a quick run of the emergency department. She found his clothes in a bio hazard bin and even his shoes were ruined. So she dashed around and snagged him a pair of scrubs, pants and shirts both in sizes larger than he'd need to make it easier to slip them on over braces and splints. She snatched him some slipper socks and filled a plastic patient belongings bag with gauze pads and alcohol, a few ace bandages of various sizes, tape and sterile water and whatever else she cared to toss in there that she thought would be useful. By the time they had the discharge papers signed and the wheelchair ready she'd have everything and return to Eliot's bedside.

"Good morning glory...time to rise and shine and giddy-up outta Dodge here."

She smiled finding him sleeping and moved in right next to the bed and ran her fingertips over his bare shoulder until he came around for her. A testament to the injuries suffered and the medications in his system, it was the first time she'd ever seen Eliot Spencer wake slow and groggy ever. He usually shot up like a rocket and was raring to go within a heartbeat. This time his eye opened slow, and she could tell he was bewildered and out of sorts. She pulled the blankets down to his hips and then slid the bar down on the side of the bed. She slid herself right up beside him and slipped an arm behind his back to help him sit up.

"I can...geez...will ya stop already I'm hurt, I'm not..."

"Your not crippled, I know but seeing as how I'm your dearly beloved bride just let me help, it'll make all the nurses pea green with envy."

"I told Sop...Steph, not to let you watch that damn movie."

Even so she got him up to sitting and then moved away to grab the scrub shirt and help him pull it up over both broken hands and then over his head. It still too way to much effort and a lot of hissing on his part, but she was really glad she'd opted for such a large size, even though it swam on him.

"Fiddle dee dee Rhett Butler, least it's not made of my Momma's good curtains."

"Frankly my dear...I don't give a damn what it's made of. Just get me the hell outta here."

"And you said you weren't watching!"

She shifted the blankets off his legs then and helped him turn to the side, crouched down before him and looked up with a grin as she put the socks over his feet and then bunched up the scrub pants at his ankles before working them up his legs as far as she could while he was sitting.

"Smurf blue is definitely your color Ethan. But now's the fun part...on your feet soldier, well foot. Take it slow and use my shoulders for balance."

Eliot braced himself on her shoulders, snarling as his bandaged hands made the motion extremely difficult. Only first time he'd be sneering over his helplessness, he was positive there would be many more times to come. He laid his forearms on her shoulders and slid off the bed as far as he could, so that his good foot was as close to the floor as he could get it. Her hands on his thighs helped some, and she had his pants up to his hips and over them in an instant, even as she snaked the wheelchair with an ankle and all but shifted his weight for him so that he was dressed, moved and dropping fluidly into a seated position in less than a second. He didn't even have much of a chance to get dizzy.

"Wow, that was impressive."

"You ain't seen nothing yet. Your in good hands hubby."

Nate and Sophie arrived with Eliot's walking papers just as Parker was adjusting the leg rest and settling his braced limb into it. They'd be heading to Nate's for the time being. Tomorrow they'd decide where to take Eliot; where he'd be safe while he healed. Parker found herself in the back of the car, with a half knocked out, and drugged up numb Eliot Spencer leaning against her, and dozing off in her arms.

It was the second time that day that they had been tangled up in one another, and at that moment she couldn't think of anywhere else she would rather be. Sophie glanced back in the rear view mirror and watched as the thief gently brushed back the hitters long hair at his temple. The tender moment saw her reaching for Nate's hand and giving it a squeeze. Such a display of emotion from Parker was almost as unprecedented as seeing Eliot so helpless. This would be uncharted territory for all of them.


	4. Chapter 4

Eliot spent that night on Nate's couch. Parker spent it curled up in the chair next to where he slept reading the sheets the hospital had sent home with him and organizing his prescriptions of pain medications, anti inflammatory, muscle relaxers, and the antibiotic ointment the nurse had mentioned. She wanted to make sure that he was getting the best possible care in her hands. For the meantime that meant being close if he needed her and commandeering every pillow in the apartment for his comfort. It was almost dawn and the rest of the team was asleep in other rooms, while the thief was folded into a seemingly impossible position scrutinizing every mark on Eliot's skin and timing each and every breath he took.

She was glad when the sun finally rose, because it gave her something productive to do. She unfurled her limbs and stretched up on her toes, hands above her head and then leaned far back to pop her lower back before she padded silent and barefoot into the kitchen. Eliot would be hungry when he woke, or at least that was what she had decided. He'd want something good to eat, and she planned to provide it. And so she began looking for a cookbook, and once she found one she searched for a recipe that sounded delicious to her. Apple cinnamon pancakes. Then she was trying to dig thru the cabinets in Nate's kitchen for what she needed, seeing as how Eliot cooked here more often than anyone else she stood a good chance of actually finding what she was after. But along the way she decided to add an ingredient or two, everything tasted better with chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips were also delightful and they went together so well. But maybe not with apples...so she skipped the apple idea and went with chocolate peanut butter pancakes. She'd save the apple juice she'd found to drink. Better than orange, orange juice burned too much when you had a cut in your mouth. And she suspected that Eliot had a few of those and she didn't want to make them worse. She began mixing ingredients; flour, eggs, milk, water she had perched herself on the counter and watched Eliot do this a hundred times. He never needed a cookbook, but the idea was the same. She didn't want to wake him with the hand mixer either, so she went with a big wooden fork. About half an hour after she began she was peeking out around the doorway to see if he was awake. Eliot never slept this late. She crept out toward the couch, her face and shirt, even her hair now spattered with pancake batter. Or what she hoped would become pancake batter. He looked too quiet; too still. She moved forward on her tiptoes up closer to the sleeping Hitter, leaned in over the back of the couch and watched as he continued to sleep, then a lock of her batter splattered hair fell forward and landed on his unbruised cheek.

Eliot woke with a start, and snapped upright, making a grab for her, not remembering his hindered hands; Parker jumped back only a breath out of his reach.

"Woah there big guy. Your supposed to be taking it easy Eliot Spencer not jumping up for an attack."

He leaned back with a groan, trying to grab at his aching ribs, but his hand too bandaged up to be any real use. Trying to ease one pain just made the other worse and Parker frowned as he snarled with frustration. It wasn't even eight am and he was already groaning and moaning and angry.

"Then don't creep up on me and stay out of my face. What's wrong with you Parker? You can't sneak up on a guy like me in my sleep."

"Your paranoia is not my fault."

"My paranoia has saved my life a hundred times. It just doesn't differentiate...what the hell is that smell?"

She smiled huge and dashed for the kitchen, hoping she wasn't burning his breakfast.

"It's pancakes silly goose. I thought you'd be hungry."

Eliot shifted, and elbowed pillows and blankets aside. It was hard to move, he made a mentally tally of his injuries and sneered realizing that his troubles were just beginning. Still the sprained knee didn't hurt too much, he thought he could walk on it if he could just get to his feet. But his hands...God damn it...totally fucking useless. Left him trying to lever himself up with one forearm on the arm of the couch and the other on the back of it, the stretch was torture on his ribs, and he had one hell of a time trying to get his feet under him. But he had to see what the hell Parker was incinerating in the kitchen.

Parker was trying to flip a pancake, but she'd set the heat way too high and hadn't oiled the pan, or used the right pan or something and it was sticking something terrible. She finally managed to scrap the pancake off the pan with the spatula and turn it over, one side was black as a cinder. She turned the heat down to nothing and shrugged. Not too bad, you can always scrape off the burned part. She moved to grab another pan so she could start another pancake when she heard Eliot let out a loud grunt and a chair skittering across the wood floor out in the conference area.

"What the hell are you doing?

She rushed out just in time to see him land his backside on the edge of the table as his injured knee all but gave out on him. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was seeing black spots before his eyes, teeth were gritted and head was hanging. Her hadn't got at all far and he wasn't happy about that.

Parker went to his side and crouched a bit so she was looking up at him, trying to see his eyes and read his expression. Was he hurt? Or just hurting?

"You say I'm crazy at least I don't try to run around on a busted leg! Do you think we carted home the wheelchair for our next job?"

"I'm fine...I mean...I can handle myself Parker. I don't need your help, or a damn wheelchair that's for sure. Now what the hell are you burning in my kitchen."

"Don't worry about your damn kitchen! Worry about yourself. You know what, scratch that too. Let me worry about you and the damn kitchen...all your allowed to do is sleep and eat and maybe watch television. Cabbage?"

"Cabbage? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know cabbage...Italian for understand? It's tough guy language right? I thought it would get your attention make you realize you need to take me seriously bucko."

She poked his shoulder with two fingers, but did it very lightly. Normally she would have been poking and prodding gleefully, but not yet. Not this time. She didn't want him to be hurt, it scared her way too much. And she sure didn't want to make it worse when it was plenty bad enough already.

"Capiche? Is that what you meant?"

"That's what I said." Her voice softened and she found herself messing with his hair again. When the hell had she started with that? She didn't dwell on it now, she just thought about how it was supposed to be soothing and he had seemed to respond to it the night before. "They knocked you in the head kinda hard, huh? Poor thing..."

"Yeah, yeah that's absolutely it..."

He laughed a bit and thought better of it as he bent forward to spare his fractured ribs.

"As soon as we get something in your tummy you are having some more meds and going right back to your couch there mister. For right now...stay put a sec."

She snagged the wheelchair from the living room and rushed it over, moving in to slide under his arm again and help him shift and sit the way she had the night before. Only this time he was trying too hard to help and it made it harder.

"Why do you have to fight everything? I'm trying to help you."

"I don't want your damn help Parker."

"Well, get used to it Spencer. Cause your six ways fucked up right now. And it was me or the hospital. Comprende?"

She lifted his leg into the rest, so it was propped up straight in front of him, sadly the most comfortable position available to him. Didn't make him feel any less pathetic as his mind painted a woeful picture of himself.

Defeated for the moment Eliot answered.

"Yeah Parker, lettuce okay...spinach...crystal...I got it."

She nodded although why he was talking about produce was beyond her.

"You want a salad for breakfast?"

"No thanks. Let's see what you got going in the kitchen."

He reached down to push at the wheels of the chair and realized, he couldn't. Talk about an insult. Couldn't walk, not even with crutches, stuck sitting on his ass and couldn't even make the chair move. He shook his head and sighed. This was just getting better and better. Parker didn't say a word, just moved behind the chair and pushed toward the kitchen, careful to make clearance around the furniture and walls with his propped up limb.

"I'm making you pancakes...we didn't have apples but I found chocolate chips and peanut butter so...like Reese's, right?"

Eliot's eyes...well, eye in this case got wide when he saw the mess she'd already made of the kitchen. Now it could have been a combination of the head injury, his imperfect one sided vision or all the drugs but he could have sworn there was pancake batter on the wall above the stove.

"Uhm...why didn't you wake me up? I would have made you some."

Parker had the spatula in her hand again and brandished it in a fashion that made it seem more lethal than any blade or gun he'd ever come up against.

"My pancakes are turning out just fine thank you. And besides I uhm, I don't think you can. I mean, cooking might be on your technical difficulty list for awhile."

She winced in sympathy as he glanced down at his splinted hands and lifted them from his lap, turning them over in disbelief. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed the bandages and such, the ramifications just hadn't sunk in. But they were now. No walking. No moving the chair. Cooking would be just about impossible. Eating might be almost as hard. And what about bathing? Hell, he could kill a man with his thumb and finger, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to button his jeans, or put on his shoes.

"It's not going to be so bad. You have about a week with your hands all bandaged up, but then you go back to the doctor..."

He interrupted her but as she could have expected he heard what he wanted to hear and this time is was one week, and then he'd be alright...he'd be very disappointed when she got to finish what she was saying.

"One week? I have to deal with this for a week? Christ...Damn; well it could be worse right? Could be a month..."

It was Parker's turn to interrupt.

"Try like three. After a week you go back for xrays. Then they'll take the splints and bandages off, which will be better cause then you won't have to be so careful. For now you have to worry about banging your hands off anything harder than a marshmallow. But next week they'll be able to see if the bones are aligned, or if you'll need surgery...and from there they'll apply the uhm...the casts..."

She tried to say the last word quiet and turned away to melt butter into the pan on the second burner and then drop in another glob of very thick pancake batter and tried to spread it around with the spatula. Eliot was too busy digesting all she had just said and was no longer as concerned with what she was trying to make for breakfast.

"Three months? Possible surgery...casts...they're going to put both my hands in plaster?"

"No they don't do that anymore. They use fiberglass...but it's the same idea."

"I'm sorry they're gonna use fiberglass that's so much better."

"Look, I know this is going to suck. But I promise, I'll be there to help. Nate and Sophie were already looking for a rental where you can stay until you can get around better. I told them to make it a two bedroom, so I can be close. I told you already I owe you big time. We don't know how bad this is going to be. If you haven't already noticed your pretty damned amazing Mr. Spencer, so you have a lot more going for you than most people would in your condition. And the doctor that's taking care of you is the best. You are going to be in very good hands."

"That's great but I prefer to rely on my own."

"Well, your gonna have to work with mine for now and we can start with pancakes."

Her first finished product was plopped down on a plate on the counter next to his shoulder.

"What is that?"

"I already told you. It's a chocolate chip and peanut butter pancake."

"It's a Frisbee."

"You haven't even tasted it."

"Darn, hands don't seem to be working."

She moved around the counter and took a knife and fork out of the drawer and cut a bite out of the pancake. Well, scraped off the burned top layer and then cut a bite and popped it into her mouth.

"It's..."

She smiled and chewed emphatically, the gooey half burnt, half doughy mass stuck in her mouth, adhered to the roof and wouldn't go down her throat.

"It's...uhm, it's disgusting."

She dashed for the fridge and popped open the milk carton and washed down the mouthful.

"Parker, really, right out of the carton?"

"Sorry, but that was. God it was so gross. I don't know what I did wrong. I followed the recipe to the letter."

"Tell you what. Call the deli on the corner, I'll take an omelet with spinach and feta. Get everyone some coffee and danish or something. Tomorrow I'll teach you pancakes. Okay?"

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"You gonna lay down on the couch, and not do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"You don't try to cook again and I won't try to do anything I guess."

"I'm trusting you Sparky."

"I know."

She took him back to the couch then and he'd never admit it but he was grateful to be returning. It took way more out of him then he could believe but that brief trip to the kitchen and back made his head spin. Parker helped him move from the chair to the sofa, fluffed and shifted pillows and tucked him back in.

"Snug as a bug. Need anything before I go?"

"Naw, darling. But thanks. I'll be alright."

"I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll be waiting...right here."

He rolled his eyes and leaned back with a dejected sigh. His hands were resting in his lap his leg was propped up on cushions, his face looked horribly bruised and swollen in the morning light. She felt bad, really bad for him. Poor Eliot, a guy as active as him shouldn't have to deal with being laid out flat the way he was. It was going to make him nuts, hell it was going to make her nuts and she didn't think she could fit another pound of crazy into her already over filled bag. She leaned in and kissed his forehead. She didn't think of it, it just happened, it ranked up there with the stroking his hair. And while the hitter thought it odd, he didn't seem to mind it. So yes he looked up at her with a quizzical expression, but he didn't say anything.

"Breakfast. Roger."

She saluted him with two fingers and winked before turning away to gather her boots and jacket.

"Roger? My names Eliot...maybe you ought to get looked at Parker, who the hell is Roger?"

But he was smiling, it was a lame, stupid joke but after cabbage it just seemed to make sense. Maybe it was the head injury.

"Don't laugh too hard there, it'll hurt."

"I know."

He was still grinning a bit, but he didn't laugh out loud.


	5. Chapter 5

(First of all thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope your all enjoying reading this one as much as I am loving to write it. If you haven't seen the season finale it's pretty awesome. I hate to see the show go, but that does mean I'll be writing more cause I just can't let go of my boy here, especially when he's hurting. He's so growly and snuggleable. Also loving my hyper, intense, trying to be helpful Parker, she's as cute as she is crazy! To Saides, no I didn't cut off his foot, I think the scene you were reading had a blanket involved, or some other reference to the fact that he can't put weight on his right leg at the moment. Knowing El that won't last long. But for now on with the show...not my show, their show, but I'd Love To Become a Writer for it if anyone can get me an interview!)

Parker returned with a big paper bag filled with breakfast goodness and coffees for the team and a giant hot chocolate for herself. For Eliot a large green tea with ginseng. She'd been humming to herself the entire way back thinking about how she knew exactly how he liked his tea, and she'd even found his secret stash of locally made pure honey while she'd been cabinet scavenging for her pancakes. She wanted to do something special to make him happy the thought of making him smile, made her giddy. In light of that she also made a mental note to go online that afternoon and pick him up that blanket she'd been thinking about.

She should have been prepared for what she found when she opened the door to Nate's apartment but still she was disappointed. The wheelchair was pulled up right against the couch, and the blankets she'd tucked in over his legs were all twisted up and half on the floor. Eliot looked a little pale and was trying his damnedest to catch his breath. He'd transferred himself bodily from a bed to a wheelchair more times than he'd like to remember but he'd never tried to do it without using his hands. It hadn't been as easy as he would have liked. It had tugged horribly on his broken ribs and as soon as he'd lost his breath his head had started swimming. Still he had managed it and gotten himself from the bathroom and back, and took care of his own business.

"What was so important that you couldn't wait for me to get back?

"Nature Parker...the call of nature, and it wasn't waiting."

Her lips parted into a perfect, if surprisingly silent O. Yes, that was just one of those things.

"Well, next time I'll help okay?"

She turned away to take the bag to the kitchen counter, and realized mid step what she'd just said.

"Oh! No, I mean. You can handle that right? The uhm, nature things? I mean I'll help you there and back...getting off the couch y'know? But I'd rather not help you with that!"

"Believe me darling, if it came to that I'd think of something. I swear."

But he did smirk, with a shake of his head. Parker had gotten herself so embarrassed her cheeks had turned pink, and truth be told it looked damn adorable on her. He could even tolerate her stammering thru her explanation of what she would and would not be mentally capable of helping him with just to see that blush.

"I'll help you with just about anything...but not that. That's just gross."

She disappeared into the kitchen and came out with his omelet and toast on a plate, his perfectly prepared tea and some real blackberry preserves from the farm market he liked to go to on Sundays when they were in the city. She sat her burden down on the coffee table, then turned to him with a tsk-tsk and swept into action to make him more comfortable; fluffing the pillows so he could sit up, elevating his knee and then pulling the blanket up over his legs. Then she sat down next to his knees, careful not to bump the ouchy one and took his plate and placed it in her lap. She cut a piece of the omelet off of the rest with the side of the fork, stabbed it and brought it up to his mouth.

"See, I can help you with this...not gross."

"Parker, gimme the plate."

He didn't sound harsh and he waited while she handed it over and set it in his lap. One working finger and one opposable thumb, and thank god for those because otherwise he'd have been getting spoon fed like an infant. It was still difficult but he managed. He would let her spread the preserves onto his toast and he didn't object when she kept a steadying hand on the cup of steaming hot tea. Dropping some omelet in his lap, he could tolerate, he'd feel stupid and clumsy but he'd survive. Dropping his tea in his lap, lets just say more pain and injury when he already had plenty to go around. When he was done eating she took the plates, but left his cup on a coaster within reach. He heard the unbelievable sound of water running in the kitchen as she scraped and washed his plate and silverware before putting them in the dishwasher. Damn, and all it took was breaking both his hands...he should have done this two years ago. Of course Parker hadn't actually cleaned up the mess she'd made in the kitchen yet. So he didn't say anything. She returned and sat in the chair nearby this time, sipping her hot chocolate and taking nibble sized bites off an enormous death by chocolate muffin.

They settled into watch some daytime television, not something either of them were familiar with. In the end, with all the outstanding choices available to them, they ended up on the food network, mostly because it make Eliot happy to critique the hosts and offer advice to improve their recipes.

Less than an hour later Hardison padded into the living room, grunted wearily at them both and then headed into the kitchen, skipping coffee in favor of orange soda, but he snatched two of the delicious danishes from the bag and brought them back to the living room.

"What the hell exploded in the kitchen?"

"Parker made me pancakes."

Eliot answered, turning his attention away from Rachel Ray and watching the hacker stuff half a danish into his mouth in one bite. Junk food, everyone on the team was hopelessly addicted to junk food. He swore none of them cared a bit about what they put into their bodies; except Sophie, who only indulged in carbs and fats when Eliot made them something very special as part of a victory feast.

"And the rest of us got danish?"

"Yeah you all got danish, I had an omelet."

"Oh..."

To Alec it all made perfect sense. There was a reason why they kept Parker out of the kitchen, and it wasn't just because that room had the most potential for bodily harm, seeing as how it housed both fire and sharp objects.

Eliot was all but dozing off when Sophie and Nate came down from his bedroom. Seeing as how they knew they had company they were both already showered and dressed. They didn't hide their relationship from the rest of the team anymore, but neither did they flaunt it. As far as the team if things didn't get awkward because the mastermind and grifter were being intimate, it was all the same to them. In truth, Nate seemed to be drinking a little less and that wasn't a bad thing. You could only hope it lasted.

Sounds of pleasure at finding breakfast ready for them and dismay seeing what Parker had done to the kitchen were heard in the living room. Parker winced and looked over to Eliot.

"I'm gonna go clean up...you need something, you call. Got it?"

"Cabbage." He smirked, as Hardison gave him one of those looks. But seeing as how it was an Eliot and Parker convo he didn't bother to ask questions. On some levels the two of them just clicked in a way that defied all understanding.

Sophie breezed into the room, wearing black skinny pants and a hip length blue and green silk blouse that draped over her figure perfectly. She had her coffee in hand and nothing else. Although when Parker was done cleaning she might make herself some breakfast.

"Didn't know when you'd be waking up, or I would have had Parker grab you an omelet too. Sorry...I'm told I am forbidden from doing anything but supervising in the kitchen for the time being."

Leave it to Eliot to be sorry that he couldn't make someone a decent mushroom and scallion omelet when he had spent the whole night in the hospital and was even now in a condition only slightly above requiring full time nursing care.

"Don't be ridiculous Eliot. Your exactly where I wanted to find you after yesterday. How are you feeling?"

Unlike Parker she refrained from reaching out and smoothing his hair or kissing his forehead, although looking at him in the daylight she really rather wanted to do just that. They had all seen him looking bruised and battered before, but this was really the worst yet.

"You should have something on that eye though dear. Nate grab Eliot a compress please. Hardison, have you found us anything nice for Mr and Mrs Spendler here while he's recovering?"

"I was meaning to talk to you about that. Why do I need to stay anywhere?"

Sophie took the compress Nate offered and laid the towel wrapped gel pack gingerly over the swollen side of the hitters face.

"My place is fine. It's safe, Parker doesn't really have to stay with me."

"Lay back and let that rest there. Now to begin with your place, is a fourth floor walk up. Secondly your going to need someone to stay with you, and while all of us are willing Parker doesn't seem inclined to budge out of her role as caregiver."

Sophie gently ran her fingers up and down his arm from the top of the splinting to his collarbone and then a bit across that ridge. Only Nate realized what she was up to, and while she had promised to never con her team again a little gentle coercion was not out of the question. Especially for such a good cause.

"Also your identification with the hospital said you were from Iowa, and the home care nurse would wonder why you would have chosen such spartan accommodations, for yourself and your devoted bride. You need something more accessible Eliot, more comfortable...just until your back on your feet. And even though I am positive your apartment is secure, Ethan Spendler's rental would be even more so...you don't just need someone to look after you right now dear. Your going to need some protection as well. So let us find you a cozy little newlywed nest, that will be easier for you to get around in and has armed security at the doors."

Hardison was already up and grabbing his computer, and he and Sophie would scan thru the rentals while Nate took over the remote for the television to watch CNN, Parker continued scraping pancake off of everything in the kitchen, and Eliot took a well deserved nap.

A few hours later when he woke, the compress was gone. The kitchen was clean. and Nate and Sophie had left to look at a nice two bedroom apartment in a secure building. It was all on one floor with an elevator, a walk in shower and a jacuzzi tub, a galley kitchen with all new appliances, and a gym and pool both of which he'd get plenty of use of both while he was recovering and doing therapy and once mostly healed and trying to get his strength back. Best of all it was only minutes from the hospital and less then two miles from McRory's. It was just him and Parker again, Hardison was gone for the afternoon purchasing some new equipment that he had been eyeing up since he'd gotten his pay from the job before last.

Parker brought him over the computer and left him to surf the listing while she got him a glass of apple juice and a handful of his prescribed medications.

"Look it's really pretty. And the bathroom has a walk in shower, so you don't have to worry about needing me to help you in and out of the tub. We can just get you one of those plastic shower chairs."

"I do not need a shower chair, I can manage. I'm not..."

"I know your not crippled. Your just hurt. Face it Eliot, your hurt and it's going to be awhile before your back on your own two feet, or using your own two hands. I'll be there to take care of you."

She stood behind him and very softly began to rub his temples in slow circles. She could see the way he was squinting at the computer screen, and he kept trying to massage the ache that was forming at the bridge of his nose. With one eye swollen shut and a concussion it was no wonder he could only stare at the computer for a few minutes without it getting to him.

"It does not take anything away from your manly bits because you need some help for awhile. It does not make you vulnerable or weak. It makes you human and I am sorry Superman your just a human. A pretty damn amazing human that kicks ass like a super hero but a human. Just like the rest of us. So if you need me to fluff your pillows or bring you breakfast it doesn't make you less. I'll even wash your hair, rub your back, push your wheelchair; whatever you need. Matter of fact..."

She moved away and took the computer from his lap. She had thought of something she could do right now that he needed and didn't even know it, something that would be along the lines of taking good care of him like she promised and making him feel better which she hoped she could manage somehow. She left his side for a few minutes, first for the kitchen where she grabbed a small metal mixing bowl and then to the bathroom where she had stashed her oversized bag of first aid supplies; she added a few other items she found to the bag and then she returned to him with a smile. She'd come back and pull the coffee table right up to his side and set the bowl and a couple of clean hand towels next to it. She dug a bottle of sterile water out of the bag, as well as a packet of sterile gauze pads and lastly the tube of antibiotic salve for the sewn up gash above his eye.

"So what I was saying. Your going to have to let me take care of you some. And your going to have to stop arguing with it at every turn. It's a waste of your energy, the circumstances aren't gonna change just cause you want them too Sparky. And here's your first lesson. Your still pretty gross buddy. You need a shower. Maybe when Nate and Sophie get back we can brainstorm some ideas. For now...you have dry blood all over the side of your face...so here's Nurse Parker to clean it up. So stay still and I'll be gentle...but stay still cause I've never tried to do this before."

Least not when I cared if I poked too hard or made someone say ouch; she thought as she laid the clean towel over his shoulder and then tore open the sterile gauze pads and soaked them with sterile water over the bowl. She'd start with that and wash off the blood on his cheek and neck, moving closer to the gash carefully.

"One of those bastards broke your cheekbone, that's why your eyes so swollen. But the doctor said the break was clean, so it will heal just fine. When I'm done cleaning you up we'll get you another ice pack and see if we can get some of the swelling down. You kinda look like Quasimodo right now."

Eliot's good eye narrowed at the comment but he didn't say anything yet, he just let her continue.

She set the bloodied gauze to the side, and took out a few more, and repeated the process, just adding a few drops of an antiseptic wound wash she'd gathered up the night before and then returning to her task.

"Turn your head now, let me wash off your neck. Ew, yuck, there's a lot of blood in your hair too. I'll worry about that later when you get in the shower."

In the meantime she carefully cleaned him up, she wished he looked better once the blood was gone but other than the icky factor there was very little improvement. The brown red stain was replaced with shades of black and blue. But at least she knew she had made an effort, she finished up with an application of the salve, carefully dabbing it onto the sutured wound. He opened his eyes when she started packing up the mess to throw it all away. He looked surprised that she was finished so quickly.

"You didn't poke or anything."

"And I am not going to. I promised last night while you were being seen at the hospital that if you were alright then I wouldn't poke you, or aggravate you or anything until you were better."

"Uhm, thanks Parker. If I forget to say it and get all cranky on ya well, I'm saying it now for later to."

"Your welcome. But the best is yet to come."

She left to throw away the soiled gauze pads and put the supply bag away, leaving thier hitter lying there wondering what on earth she was up to now. When she did come back she had a bottle of Sophie's extremely expensive body silkening lotion scented almond and honey. Nothing too floral or fruity, nothing too girlie. Something that would just smell good without offending Eliots manly bits. She took a seat at the foot of the couch, there was just enough space for her there with the hitter sprawled out over the cushions.

"Now lay back and prepare to be pampered."

With that she pulled the blanket back off of his sock covered feet and pushed up the leg of his scrub pants. She was making a mental list of his immediate needs. First food, which Nate and Sophie should be bringing them back. Then a shower and some clean comfortable clothes and then if he didn't need anything more sleep, he needed a lot of sleep. Especially if tomorrow proved to be moving day. Granted he wouldn't be doing his own packing or any of the hauling, but in his condition the actual moving from here to there was bound to be painful and tiring. He'd need as much rest as he could get.

She started with his left foot. Parker poured a quarter sized glob of lotion into the palm of her hand and began to massage his foot; fingers over the bones, thumbs working into the arch and the ball of the foot, up to his ankle. Watching his expression to make sure she was using just the right amount of pressure. When he started moaning and looked ready to melt into the sofa she smiled knowing she was doing this perfectly.

"Oh, Parker. Oh my...that feels..."

"I know it's crazy right? Ranks up there with good chocolate and sex."

She didn't even realize she had said that and while Eliot certainly did he wasn't going to mention it. Although the thought of good chocolate, sex and Parker working her talented hands over him with warm oil might make it hard for him to sleep in the future. For right now, with all the pain medications, she could rub whatever she wanted and he wouldn't be able to muster up an appreciative physical response. Oh how the mighty did fall.

"I want to tell you to stop. I really do..."

"I wouldn't if you told me to. This is the first time you have looked relaxed since...Well god Sparky maybe since 1985? Point is I can tell it feels good, and your feet; you know for a guy you don't have very ugly feet. In fact they aren't really ugly at all. Most men have gross, smelly feet y'know?"

Eliot laid back as she switched feet and began with the right one. Her touch a bit more careful, especially as she moved up to the lower end of the heavy knee brace. The over sized scrub pants pushed up easily and she unfastened the velcro straps on the brace and spread it open at the bottom. Her hands working into the tense achy muscle of his calf.

"Tell me if it's too much. This is a massage not torture toughing it out would be sort of stupid."

He just nodded, so far it just felt good, even when her fingertips dug into the muscle more deeply. She'd shy away from his knee but she could still work some of the tension out of his calf, ankle and foot. Her hands moved up along the sides of the brace and into the leg of the pants, right up his thigh. The top of the brace reached the hem of his underwear and his eyes widened as Parker's hands seemed to just keep going up. Parker was humming softly as she unfastened the strap one hand lifting his knee from behind as she slipped it out from under the limb and dropped it on the floor.

"Doctor said you can take this off for a bit here and there if your resting."

She winced, seeing the bruised and swollen joint as well as where the gears and supports of the brace had dug red welts into his flesh.

"Ohhh...that looks sore."

Usually that would have been accompanied by a good poke in the bruised area, but not today. Today her comment passed and she just continued the massage, using more lotion and working the tension out right up to his boxers and then back down to his ankle and his foot before she gave his toes her full attention.

By the time she got there Eliot was a puddle in her hands. He couldn't remember the last time he had allowed someone to make him feel this way. Maybe Gail right after the job where he'd gotten hit with a carnival ride, but even then; he hadn't felt like this.

"Aimee."

He thought, that was the last time he had felt like he was being taken care of like this. He'd come home to her once when they had been engaged. He'd been in the Army then, technically. Special Forces, Black Ops, Top Secret, yeah he had heard, been classified as all of those things. But he had been engaged to Aimee then, back when he had thought that all of what he did was just a job he could stop doing at the end of the day, something he could come home from. He should have known better. He'd been busted up and hurt that time too. He'd been younger and less skilled, less experienced and he and his unit had taken heavy damage when a mine had blown up in their convoy. Eliot had been shipped home after two weeks in a Panamanian hospital; Aimee had taken care of him for nine weeks after that. And then he had left, and hadn't come back until they had done the job that had saved her family's farm a few years ago.

Parker continued the massage, even though Eliot had dozed off on her a few minutes ago. She took him falling asleep as a compliment.


	6. Chapter 6

_Panama, want to talk about hell on earth? Jungle heat, dangerous animals in the tress and under your feet, and the people, ten times worse than any of the snakes. Panama had been pure guerrilla warfare, Eliot had spent weeks crawling around in the mud and muck, even the rains when they came never left you feeling anything but hot and dirty. It was only later in life that he had grown more accustomed to those kinds of conditions, he had gained his tolerance to extremes of heat and cold, as well as pain and deprivation. They weren't skills you had been born with. They were the skills you learned over time and trial._

_He barely remembered the explosion, just bright, loud and pain...and then nothingness. Flashes, glimpses of faces speaking Spanish and at the time he would have been lucky to be able to ask if there was a nearby taco stand. Hospitale...yes hospitale he understood. He also came to quickly understand that Hospitale, and Hospital were far more different that he could have imagined. In a Hospitale you were lucky if you saw a nurse once or twice a day. The meds were not what you were accustomed too, no FDA in Latin America but still, morphine was morphine and you were glad if that was all you needed, because at least that was somewhat safe to ingest. There was no surgery in the Hospitale, unless you were dying. Orthopedic care consisted of pulling the limb straight, applying a few pounds of fast drying plaster and crossing your fingers. In comparison to some of the other guys in his unit Spencer had been lucky, he'd been near the fringe of the actual explosion, so while he had been throw over forty feet and pelted with razor sharp and white hot shrapnel he hadn't been in the explosion, so his burns were relatively minor. Mostly first degree, a smattering of second and just a handful of third degree where exposed skin had been hit by flying hot metal. That didn't mean he had walked away, far from it he'd fractured his collarbone, shoulder and upper arm in two places, back in the States they'd also find a hairline fracture in his cervical spine. Fortunately, the doctors in Panama had casted him from his knuckles to his ears and most of the way down his chest so the break was healing well. Even then the first time Aimee saw him she had been both elated and horrified. _

_"Oh my God...baby I don't even know if I should touch you."_

_They had flown him from the base back to Kentucky first class and Aimee was waiting at the ramp as a flight attendant wheeled him down to the terminal. Tears filled her eyes when she saw him, but all he could do was smile. Nothing mattered now that he was home, not the pain, or the damage, not the cast that covered his entire arm and shoulder or the brace on his neck, not the damn stupid wheelchair he didn't need, nothing mattered except the girl standing there waiting for him._

_"Darling you better bring your sweet self right over here. Before I'm forced to get up and grab you. It'll look pathetic but you know damn well I'll do it."_

_His voice was strong enough, and his eyes were gleaming with pride and love and happiness. Other than a few broken bones he felt fantastic really. He was home, and the girl he had been dreaming about for months now was standing right in front of him. Rushing towards him now, she leaned down and slipped her arms around him, laughing lightly at the awkwardness the cast created. His arm was set at shoulder height, elbow at almost ninety degrees with a bar from the wrist to his side. Lets just say it took some pretty creative scissor skills to cut a shirt to fit over the cast. But it had been managed. Aimee slipped in, and sighed with contentment and relief as her cheek fell to his good shoulder and he leaned up to wrap his arm around her and hold her tight._

_He whispered into her ear._

_"I'll be good as new in no time baby. Doctors said everything is healing fine. I just need to learn to land better next time."_

_"Next time? Your kidding right? Your home baby, home to stay I'm never letting you out of my sights again."_

_He would have nodded if he could have moved his head, but the brace on his neck kept it immobile. It would have been a lie anyway, cause even then Eliot knew he had already seen too much, and done too much to ever go back to just this life again. But for now he would be happy to be home, happy as hell to be with Aimee._

_They shared a bed for the first time in months, that night . It was slow, and careful, but sweet and beautiful all the same. There had been laughter and tears from them both, but real love was a mix of those things and more. And when she curled up against his side and closed her eyes he felt like his chest was going to explode from the pounding of his head. He'd never loved anyone but Aimee, not in his whole life and he doubted he would ever love anyone else the same way again._

_Aimee was beside him twenty four seven while he healed. She never asked if he needed help, she just watched and gave it before he could say a word or get too frustrated. Just a small smile on her part and the task would be accomplished, everything from helping him shower, to getting him dressed, helping with meals, or an arm to steady him while he rose form the table. She was just there, all day everyday making sure that the man she loved was getting put back together perfectly._

_Two weeks later he convinced his doctors to remove the cast and brace so he could start therapy. Two weeks after that he stopped going to therapy, he could get the same exercise in the stables and enjoy it a hell of a lot more. In six weeks you'd never have known he was hurt, except for a few small pink patches of skin on his neck and hands but in time even those faded away._

_He bought her a ring, it wasn't anything fancy; just a gold band and a quarter carat diamond. But when he knelt down and put it on her finger she looked at that chip like it was the worthy of an Empress. He had never been so happy, working beside his bride to be or her father all day, spending his nights in the kitchen with her preparing the best damned home cooking you ever ate. For a few months it was bliss, Aimee was planning a small outdoor ceremony for all their friends and family. Neither of them had much in the way of family, Eliot had two sisters but they lived out of state and he hadn't spoken to them much since their parents had died years before. Aimee's mom was no longer with them, but they had her father to give away the bride and declare that Eliot Spencer was making the best damn match in the county, hell maybe the state. _

_For over two months it was good, really good. Eliot all but forgot about the military, forgot about traveling and fighting...and killing. But then the phone started ringing. Most of the time it was bill collectors but other times it was his CO checking in to see how he was mending. Yes, they wanted him back, but with a neck injury like the one he had suffered. it was really his decision if he wanted to return at all, or go back to do something less dangerous._

_And as the bills piled up Eliot considered it. He got in contact with some guys from his old squad; they exchanged letters and a few phone calls. Out of the surviving members after Panama, three were not going to be able to return, but eleven of them were...twelve if they could count on Spencer. _

_"Don't you dare! God damn it Eliot, what the hell were you thinking? You re-enlisted? Wasn't it bad enough already? I can't do this! This is not the marriage I want. I can't sit at home and wait for letters and phone calls and pray your alright, and know that some day your going to come home to me broken again...someday your not going to come home at all. I love you too much to watch that happen..."_

_For two weeks they fought over it, the arguments went every which way and sometimes they both thought it was going to be alright, that she could handle it, and sometimes they both knew it wouldn't be. In the end she had gone to the airport with him, kissed him goodbye and slipped the ring into the back pocket of his jeans._

_"I love you Eliot...I will always love you. Maybe someday you won't need this anymore and we can be together. I'm going to cross my fingers on that, but I'm not gonna hold my breath."_

_He'd been alone ever since, he learned to like it better that way. And then there had been Nate, and Sophie, Hardison and..._

"Parker?"

He growled, eyelids fluttering open he reached up to brush the cold damp cloth off of his face, but almost cracked his own head with the splint on his right hand. Parker was right there, almost literally in his face, if she had been any closer they would be brushing noses.

"Parker what the hell are you doing?"

"You talk in your sleep Sparky. I couldn't make out all the words, but you started to thrash around and I didn't want you falling off the couch so I was about to wake you up. Besides, Hardison is about ready to eat your dinner. Sophie got you a chopped steak with those little red potatoes and green beans. It's in the oven."

"Yeah, that's sounds fine."

He wouldn't manage to do much more than pick at the meal, but it was enough to put something in his stomach before he took his next dose of meds. Parker sat on the chair next to him on pins and needles the whole time. She was so excited about something her knees were bouncing.

"Ok, spill it...your about ready to burst."

"We move into the new place tomorrow!"

"Wow..." He snarled and pushed the potatoes around on the plate with the bite sized cuts of meat."That's just dandy. I can't wait."

"I know your all growly, Mister Sourpuss."

She took the plate away when he reached the point of literally playing with his food. When she returned to the couch she had a roll of plastic wrap and she brought the wheelchair over close to his side.

"Alright cowboy, time to saddle up..."

"That is a sorry excuse for a bronco."

"But still the best your gonna get for a few weeks so deal with it."

Eliot managed to get himself off the couch and into the chair with only limited assistance from Parker, and true to her earlier threats they had found a plastic chair and put it right in the shower for him. No amount of glowering and glaring at it would make it go away, nothing he could do would change the situation and the truth was he was beginning to be able to smell himself so he knew he needed to get cleaned up. He knew it would make him feel a little better. He just wasn't ready to deal with the humiliation involved in needing help with anything this intimate.

Parker however seemed ready, she took off the little black and gray plaid button down she was wearing to reveal the bikini top she'd dawned underneath it. Under her jeans she had on a pair of swim shorts as well, yes she had every intention of climbing into the shower right with him.

"Now I figure you can strip down to your boxers and I'll wrap up your hands so nothing gets wet. I can help with everything but..."

She gestured meaningfully to his groin, yeah that was all on him.

"I'll leave the towels where you can reach them, and I'll come back when your done with that and help you get dried off and dressed. It won't be that bad so stop pouting."

"I am not pouting. I just...I can't believe this, that this has got to happen."

"Well believe it buddy, cause your aroma is starting to offend."

Parker knelt down in front of him and started helping him slip out of the scrub pants and shirt. He just had to lift his hips, or raise his arms as they went and she pretty much did the rest until she had him down to his boxers. He couldn't help but noticing the fact that her petite frame was really something worth admiring. Parker was all trim muscle and lean lines, but she had all the curves in all the right places to fill out her bathing suit. Mostly he found himself admiring her stomach, she spent a lot of time training and it showed in all the cuts of muscle there.

It was the first time Eliot realized that Parker was not just cute, she was damned attractive. If you could just get her to shut the hell up once in awhile and tone down the crazy she was real pretty. Not in the same way as Sophie, not all polished and put together and tailor made to entice, but in that real no make up, no frills, what you see is what you get honest way that he really liked just a little bit more.


	7. Chapter 7

(Thanks to everyone for the great reviews. I always worry if I'm going a bit too far especially when it comes to H/C and Whumpage, but if you all don't seem to mind then I most certainly don't. Also thanks to the reviews I decided to write the shower scene and not just skip to it being done and over with...so his chapter should be...well it'll be something. You all can let me know what when it's done. Reviews please!)

I took some shifting and grunting but Parker was finally able to help Eliot out of the wheelchair and into the shower stall. He'd never say so but after just moments on his feet he was thankful to be sitting again. His knee felt as unstable as jelly. He could feel that the joint was weakened, and that it wouldn't have held his weight for a minute. Frustrating yes, infuriating even but the truth was hardly ever easy to deal with. With his eyes closed he held out one hand and then the other for a liberal application of plastic wrap. He almost couldn't bare to watch, mentally distancing himself from the situation was his only means to cope. He just wasn't cut out for his, he was hardly a 'good' patient. No one liked being hurt, but Eliot took that disdain to a whole new level. Irrational yes, but he was very angry with himself. His body had betrayed him by breaking, by bleeding, by hurting to an extent that he couldn't push through. The voice in his head sounded like a drill instructor.

_"Too weak Spencer? Your just a pansy ass, useless, waste. Does it hurt? Well poor damn baby...seriously your gonna let his girl help you shower? What the hell is wrong with you, son?"_

"Parker, juts give me the god damned washcloth, aright? I can handle his. God's sakes...I'm no crippled."

He barked so loud he made his own damn head hurt, teeth gritted and his face actually throbbed as he snarled at the thief and reached out for the washcloth and the body wash she was holding. He looked up to her and the expression on her face was heart breaking. Parker looked like he had stabbed her bunny, huge blue eyes stared back at him and her pretty lips parted to say something but not a sound slipped past them. Eliot didn't just snap at her, his tone of voice was so angry it was almost frightening.

And she was just trying to help.

"I...I'm sorry..."

She shoved the toiletries in his direction and he awkwardly gathered them into his lap as she turned on her heel and rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Left alone Eliot sat there in silence for awhile.

_"Way to go Sparky, that was a real asshole move."_

And as if he didn't feel bad enough already, he didn't call her back. He couldn't force himself to do it, his stubborn pride, and his insurmountable ego couldn't stand the thought of it. He could feel horrible about it all later, hell he could even apologize and be sincere about it. But only after he finished showering, all by himself.

He leaned far forward and used the end of the splint to push on the ridge of the hot water knob until he had it turned on full blast. He nearly scalded himself before he got the cold turned on using the same ridiculously difficult method. His other arm was pressed into his lap to hold the body wash and towel from falling. He hadn't even gotten stared really and he was already realizing that this was going to be beyond difficult. But he was determined now and even though every motion he attempted made his hands scream in pain he would continue. He managed to hold the bottle of body wash upside down between both his palms and let the washcloth sit on his thigh. Now he just had to get it opened, and he did that by raking the tab on the flip top open across his leg. I left a nice scratch, but it worked and that was what mattered. He squeezed an oversized amount onto the cloth and tossed the bottle aside, literally, it clattered into a corner of the shower. He pushed the cloth around on his leg until it built up a lather and then began the absurdly troublesome task of actually washing himself. For starers, he couldn't bend over far enough to reach his calves and feet without loosing his breath entirely and seeing black spots. So he only go his right leg washed down to about knee and had settle for that. He tried to wash his stomach and chest but his hands were so clumsy, trapped in those plastic wrapped, splinting hard, boxing mitts he raked his broken ribs three times before he gave that up. He couldn't even really try to wash his face, with the gash and the heavy bruising he just didn't want to risk it. But he did manage to run the cloth over his hair a bit. Yes, he used the body wash in his hair, because he couldn't reach the shampoo and was already having enough fun as it were. His best attempts came up pathetically short in capability. With soap running down his face and only about half of himself even marginally clean he dropped the cloth and leaned forward to try and grab the hose on the shower sprayer. He batted at it with both hindered hands and got it swaying but he couldn't get a hold of the damn thing; his hands weren't useable enough and from where he was sitting it was too far above him...so he leaned forward a bit more...but that didn't work...a little further...still a no...if he could just push up a little on his good leg...just another few inches...

Out in the hall Parker heard the water running, and heard him cussing and swearing in a few foreign languages. She almost smiled, not that she wanted him to hurt more than he already did. That was really the last thing she wanted. But he had hurt her feelings and she was upset. She kept telling herself that it was just because it was Eliot. And Eliot wasn't good a laying on his ass, or asking for help, or needing someone. But part of her was positive that if she were a long legged, seductress, that dressed like a runway model, maybe spoke with some exotic accent, maybe looked like...what was her name? Gail...yeah that had been her name. Maybe if she looked and acted like Gail, then Eliot wouldn't hate relying on her so much. She knew that he cared about her, but she sometimes she still wondered if he really liked her. Was she too crazy still? Did she do too many bizarre things? Was she just imagining that he had stopped looking at her like she had sprouted another head as often as he used to? Or was he just hiding it better? They all loved the work they did. They got to use their skills and talents for actual good. Maybe that was really why Eliot was seemingly more tolerant of her.

She was mussing very deeply when she heard the chair scrape across he tile of the shower stall floor. It snapped her out of it but not before she heard the clatter of Eliot pitching too far forward, loosing his precarious balance and letting out a stifled yelp as he landed hard.

She ran into the bathroom, not that it was far to go. She was a his side in seconds. He was on his side, both hands clutched protectively against his stomach, and doubled over the screaming appendages. Instinctively he had tried to catch himself on the wall as he had pitched forward. His face was contorted in pain, and his teeth were clamped tight to keep the sounds of that pain from escaping his lips.

"Eliot! Oh my god!"

She wished Nate, or Sophie, or Hardison were here. But they had all made themselves scarce and gone down to the pub so that Eliot would have some breathing room. He hated having a hovering audience.

"I'm going to run and call Nate. It's going o be okay."

"No...no...don't."

"Eliot you need help, I need help...I'm not good a this."

"I'm not good a this...you were doing fine."

He hissed through his teeth as she helped him to shift onto his hip. She was on her knees a his side, and now had her hands on his shoulders.

"Just wait. Please, just wait. Give me a minute."

She nodded, even though he wasn't looking a her, his eyes were squeezed shut. He leaned against her as he slowly uncurled his limbs, and let the muscles loosen. She helped him to sit up, until his head was resting against her shoulder and his breaths came slower and more evenly. She held him against her, all wet, shaking and defeated. Her voice was a whisper close to his ear.

"Why? Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? Why can't you listen? Do you think you were just told you had to be careful because we wanted to piss you off? You have broken bones in your hands, and they aren't really set or anything yet. There was too much swelling for real casts, and the splints aren't made to really protect them while they heal. Your not supposed to be using them at all. Do you understand me? I know you think I'm just crazy, but I listened to your doctor, and I read everything they sent home with you...and you need to be careful damn it. I know this is hard for you, I can only imagine how hard. But you have to let them heal. If you don't...well for starters your not going to be able to hit a pillow without it hurting!"

While she spoke she found and gathered up the washcloth and began running it up and down his arms to his shoulders, across his chest mindful of all the bruising, and then down his stomach. He didn't move, he didn't fight, he had tried his damnedest and it obviously had not worked out well at all. This was his moment of defeat. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that defeat could be a hell of a lot worse than being curled up against Parker as she washed his back for him.

"I'm sorry. I am really sorry Parker. I feel like a damn jackass."

"An egotistical damn jackass."

"Yeah, that too..."

She continued to work the cloth over his flesh, he allowed her hands to roam over his body, lifting an arm, or moving just enough to give her access to his skin. His head was hanging and he was exhausted and hurt all over. Parker was silent, for once entirely silent. She washed his neck and shoulders, amazed by the feel of all that hard muscle under his skin. He was all muscle, and she had always known that just hadn't come face to face, or flesh to flesh with it as it were. Not until now. And she let her fingers move over his skin, tracing every muscle, learning every scar and there were a lot of them. Seeing him like his made something in her heart ache, it wasn't fair and she hated it. Hated everyone and everything that had ever hurt him. But touching him, well even in his condition Eliot was...wow...if you could look past the damage and the hurt and just appreciate the man. There was a lot there to appreciate and she had never noticed it as keenly as she did at that moment. She leaned forward, moving slow so if he needed to shift around he could do so gradually. She washed his legs, moved carefully over that swollen knee and then down to his ankles and feet. She'd hold he washcloth up to the shower sprayer and rinse out all the soap before she used it to clean his cheeks and forehead, again avoiding the worst of the bruising.

"I think the hair will wait until tomorrow, huh? You've had about enough."

She moved away slowly, and maybe a bit reluctantly and grabbed the chair and set it back to rights. Now the hard part, getting Eliot back into the chair. She knelt down in front of him and slipped her arms under his, he placed his hands on her shoulders and used his good leg to lift, while she pulled him up and shifted him over to the chair. Chest to chest, her face against his cheek, bodies wet and barely clothed...God if he wasn't a battered mess this might have been an entirely different situation. Even so when she turned her face toward him, and backed off only a fraction, and her lips touched the very corner of his mouth. She found herself swallowing hard before she was able to form words. Eliot was hard pressed for his verbal response; he was too busy taking in the sensory delights of having Parker where he had her.

She smelled like jasmine; soft, sweet and just a little musky.

He smelled like woods; warmth and heat and just a little heady.

During that momentary pause they both realized that the next few weeks together might be more challenging than either of them could have imagined. Then Parker slowly drew away.

"I uhm...I'll leave you to finish up now. You just cover up with a towel when your done and I'll come in and help you get dried off and dressed."

Eliot wanted to say something witty to cover for how much it had shaken him to have her so close. But he couldn't think of a thing to say, so he just went with.

"Okay."

She left him then and he managed to push down his boxers and kick them aside, he finished washing up. There was a clean towel where she had left it and he got it settled over his hips, it covered almost to his knees. So while he was sill technically buck naked, he had covered the majority of the intimate details of his anatomy. The towel draped over the seat of the chair so she couldn't see a thing. And that was good because she had seen and felt enough already. He called out for her when he was ready and she returned. She'd toweled off and was mostly dry but still in her swimsuit top and shorts. Parker shut off the water and moved in with a big fluffy towel and dried his shoulders and back, his chest and stomach, even rubbed his hair softly to make it stop dripping and then brought him a bathrobe and draped it over his shoulders before pulling it over the front of him and belting it into place.

"There you go..."

She pursed her lips and stepped back nodding.

Eliot remembered how to form words and speak them.

"My modesty is preserved."

"I think we did alright, bumpy start but we managed. Can we skip the drama next time."

"Yes, please lets."

She helped him out of the shower then and he limped heavily on their way to the sinks. It would be easier to help him get dressed if he was semi standing she figured. He could kind of park his butt there as she knelt down before him and tugged a pair of navy boxer briefs over his feet one a a time and then up his legs until things got too close for comfort and then he should be able to manage to tug them over his hips using the digits the doctor had left available to him. Easy, no but possible. Hell he'd almost managed to shower alone, he could handle this...truth was he was gonna have to. Cause no amount of promising not to peek was going to make her getting that close to his junk any more comfortable for either of them.

Thankfully, it didn't come to that. He managed...and she helped with the rest. A pair of heather gray track pants and a black beater, were deemed comfortable enough to return to the couch in. She fastened the knee brace back on over the pants this time and cinched up the velcro straps tight to hold his knee straight and immobile. Then helped him him lower himself back into the seat of he wheelchair. Lastly, the plastic wrap was taken away and she would unwrap the bandages on his hands, make sure the splinting was in place and dry and then use two new ace wraps from her bag of supplies and get his hands all strapped and wrapped up again.

He looked better and worse all at once. He smelled a lot better at least so she could feel accomplished in that. He was about ready to keel over so she escorted him back to the couch so he could get some sleep.

While he had been having a fit and trying to get himself cleaned up she hadn't just been hovering at the door. Parker had been busy. Fresh sheets covered the couch, and the pillows were all fluffed up and arranged for him to snuggle into. She helped him get back to bed, shifting cushions into just the right places under his aching knee and behind his back so that when he laid back it felt like he was resting on clouds. But the best was yet to come. She pulled the sheet and blankets over him, only the blanket was not the same one he had left. This one was soft, furry soft, extravagantly lush and enveloping. He laid his hands on his stomach and she saw the way he stroked it with his fingers and smiled.

"It's bunny fur...well not real bunny fur cause that would be horrible."

In her mind it really would be, rabbits were very much cuter alive and hopping than dead and skinned. No one should skin a sweet, defenseless, twitchy nosed bunny. That was like pulling the lights out of fire flies.

"It's soft...where did...you go it for me?"

He sunk back into the pillows and sighed, okay so there was something about a blanket when you were sick or hurt that made you feel better, it made you feel cared for, and taken care of...loved...maybe...

"Yeah Sparky...your own bunny fur blanket. I figure your gonna be laying around a lot might as well have something to curl up with."

"You shouldn't have...but thanks."

He smiled and closed his eyes. He was beaten and bushed and completely worn out.

"You like it then?"

"No..."

He whispered as he drifted off to sleep.

"I love it."

Parker left him to change into something dry and comfortable. While she was dressing she thought about what she had learned about Eliot Spencer that night.


	8. Chapter 8

(First of all I'd like to apologize for the horrific spelling in the last chapter. It did however force me to download a new word processor and I have edited and spell checked all my previous chapters. So thanks you all for bearing with and things should look better from here. Comments, questions, and suggestions always welcome so please keep the reviews coming.)

A hacker a grifter and a mastermind are sitting at a booth in a cozy Irish pub, all looking morose and nursing their various drinks. Nate had a glass of scotch rocks; his fourth of the evening. Sophie was sipping on a white wine spritzer and Hardison had a Guinness draft. None of them were particularly comfortable, they all looked anxious and on occasion a glance would dart to the back room, or more appropriately to the door in the back room that led to the stairs that would bring them to Nate's apartment where they had left their sleeping hitter and their babysitting thief.

"I dunno guys. You really think we should be leaving them alone, together? I know he's sleeping now but he'll wake up sooner or later. And once he does he'll be bitching, and she won't be able to handle it and...he's gonna end up hurt worse than he is now."

Alec was the most uncomfortable of the three, considering his feelings for Parker, and the fact that they had been getting closer to a relationship that was more than just friends he didn't want to see her hurt, emotionally or physically. And while he knew Eliot would never raise a hand to her, he wasn't kosher with the idea of their hitter lashing out at her verbally either. Parker was oddly fragile emotionally. Something even he only understood a little bit at a time as she allowed him in. If Eliot hurt her they were going to have words, very serious words and that conversation was bound to be less than pretty.

"Hardison their doing fine. This is important to Parker. She feels responsible for him being hurt and so far she's doing an excellent job of taking care of him. Also it's good for her, it helps her work on her people skills. If she can handle Eliot while he's got his hackles up and is on the defense than she can handle anything."

"Sophie is right. Parker is doing a terrific job with this. I've never seen her as compassionate, or as on the level as she has been since he has been hurt. It will be good for her, and maybe even good for Eliot. As much as he never would admit it, I think he has his trust issues the same as she does. Both of them are used to working alone, in ways and for reasons we can't even begin to understand. They might be just what one another needs."

Hardison took a few deep gulps of his beer and pushed the glass out to the end of the table for a refill. He tried not to let his reaction to that show. But it was another one of his concerns. He knew that Eliot and Parker were more alike than he and the thief were. They understood one another in a way because if those similar personality traits and shared experiences. They had both been hurt, used, betrayed and alienated. They had both been alone when the team had found them. They were the two that had the hardest time trusting anyone, even their teammates.

"Eliot is hurt, so he is vulnerable and he isn't going to tolerate that well. Parker has never had a lasting male figure in her life and now one of the ones she's begun to rely on to be there has been hurt to protect her. I think out of all of us she is the best one for the job, in this case. If it were you or Nate he'd feel more inclined to push himself to prove he was capable. Parker is going to be more patient because she feels like this is her fault."

Hearing the truth didn't help him any. In fact it made him raise his hand and flag the bartender for another refill. He knew they were right. Eliot wouldn't be able to tolerate all of them there, or any of them really. He could let his guard down a little for Parker, but for everyone else it would be walls up and defenses in high gear and right now he didn't need to do that. It would be the worse for him. Now wasn't the time to push himself physically. And if they were there he'd be doing just that. He'd be more able to tolerate Parker seeing him flat on his ass. When it came down to it Eliot was old fashioned when it came to his views on women. Not so much that he thought they belonged in the kitchen, bare foot and pregnant. But that women as a rule were made to be taken care of, protected, call it chivalrous by nature. But it was obvious that he felt that way towards Sophie and Parker. So yes it made it a little easier on him to be wounded and vulnerable around a woman than it would be with a male trying to take care of him.

Hardison just kind of wished it was Sophie and not Parker. He had seen Eliot charm the ladies too many times to be comfortable with it. And while he knew that El wouldn't be trying to run game on Parker; he also knew that things happened between two people when they were alone together and forced into some sense of intimacy. He also knew that if he came out and said anything he'd be the one that ended up looking like an ass. He just couldn't help the way he felt.

"Besides, we're not far away if she needs us all she has to do is call."

Hardison nodded and sipped his beer but he couldn't help but to continue to glance toward the door, even as Sophie and Nate seemed to have convinced themselves that everything was going well upstairs.

They had another round and then they headed upstairs. Hardison to gather his things and head out for the night, Sophie and Nate to turn in. They'd find Parker in the chair by the couch and Eliot asleep.

"How was your night?"

Sophie took a seat on the arm of the couch, looking down at the hitters sleeping form and running her hand gently over the rabbit fur blanket with a smile.

"Oh, it was fine...he's stubborn as all hell and he fell in the shower. But I picked him up and dusted him off and everything was okay after that."

Sophie coughed lightly, as Hardison's head shot up at the word shower. She didn't say anything though seeing as how Parker was acting all casual like while mentioning something so ripe with possible innuendo.

"I'm going to turn in now. We have a big day tomorrow."

Hardison was heading toward the door slowly, not wanting to leave before the conversation was fully finished.

"That's right, moving day. New place...new husband."

Parker laughed as she looked over to Eliot and smirked, but her grin turned to a bit of a pout, as she glanced over all the bumps and bruises and his bandaged hands resting across his stomach.

"Maybe Nate can substitute. Is that allowed having a second as fair as marital rights? Or I could sit in his lap and one of you could push. I just don't think Eliot can carry me over the threshold tomorrow. Married people do that, don't they?"

Parker sighed and shook her head of course they weren't really married and Eliot wasn't going to be carrying his bride over the threshold but it was kind of the sad just the same. And to her it sounded like this strange blissful joke, as if she and Eliot Spencer would ever be married. What a con that would be, it was absurd, impossible and still...the idea of him carrying her anywhere it kind of made her toes curl.


	9. Chapter 9

_She had only been a six when her father left them. Mom had been a raging alcoholic and her brother was all she had in the world. It only took a few months when their Mother had stopped coming home. Then child protective services had arrived at the door of their squalid one bedroom apartment and had taken both the children into custody. Parker was given enough time to back her clothes into a backpack and to grab her only toy, a stuffed rabbit named Moppet and then was taken out to the waiting car. Her brother had done the same, only once they reached the vehicles did she realize he was going someplace without her._

_It was then that Parker began to scream. As they tried to pack her into the back of the car she screamed her head off, she kicked, bit, sobbed and squirmed. She got free of their grasps; and she ran to her brother and wrapped herself around him crying hysterically. He held her against him tightly, fiercely and whispered to her._

"_I'll find you. They won't keep us apart. I promise."_

"_Please...no. Don't go, don't leave me. I want to go with you!"_

"_Be good, be smart, be safe...I'll find you."_

_He had only been nine and already he had been a man. He'd had to be if he had wanted to take care of them both with their parents gone. Parker had gone with the woman from CPS, she hadn't cried again, she'd barely spoken. Only at night, when she was alone she would whisper to Moppet._

"_He's coming. He won't forget us. He'll find us."_

_For nine months she had told herself that, nine months and five houses. The next one worse than the others. Parker found out quickly that you were lucky if you just got ignored. Sometimes the family wasn't so bad, sometimes the other kids were. She was lucky so far. A fact she wouldn't realize until later. Being a child in placement was bad, being a teenager was worse. She turned seven that year, and he turned ten. And she had all but given up on him ever finding her, but she wouldn't tell Moppet that. And then she had been packed up, again...one thing she was getting good at packing light and fast. She was taken out to the van and driven away, further away than she could remember, the neighborhood looked nice, clean neat little houses, trees and sidewalks, and shiny cars parked in driveways. She didn't notice so much, not until they reached a split level house in the middle of a street and when they stopped and they let her out the back door...there he was._

_He was there standing on the porch and she was so amazed she couldn't move from where she stood. He ran down the sidewalk and grabbed her in his arms and she dropped her bag and Moppet and stood there for a moment, lost, confused, and finally she started to cry._

"_You didn't forget...you found me...you found me."_

"_I promised."_

_That night at dinner she sat at the table with her brother and their new family. He had been here for three months now and he had told them about his little sister and what a good kid she was. They had petitioned to bring her here and if everything worked out they would both be staying. A real home, a real family, and they would be together._

_It lasted a year, and then he had been killed. A senseless stupid accident that Parker would never be able to forgive herself for. _

_Only weeks after his death the devastated family had decided they would rather not continue fostering children, not even Parker and they asked for children protective service to take her away again. She then spent the next four years in placement. When she had finally had enough of other kids stealing her things, she learned to steal them back and more. When she had gotten sick of being treated like a house slave, she had learned to make herself vanish. And when one of the 'dads' in a home tried to climb into her bed she had learned how to protect herself. _

_But she never forgot him. She never stopped missing him. And she had never trusted anyone else ever to protect her, to take care of her. She had never cared about anyone else that way again...until she had seen Eliot reaching for her, bloody and hurt and promising he wouldn't let her go._

_He would always be there._

_He would protect her with his life._

_He would fight for her._

_He would die for her._

_And she cared, for the first time in over half her life she cared; deeply._

_She cared about all of them, in different ways. They had become her family. _

_Sophie, Nate, Hardison..._

_Eliot._

She woke up crying, and saying she was sorry. She couldn't breath and the world around her was just beginning to rise form darkness, pinks and oranges filtered in thru the windows. But as far as Parker knew it was still dark and night. She couldn't remember exactly what she had dreamed, a bike accident, a bloody fight, she only knew that for a second time someone she loved had died in her arms and she couldn't place a face with the body. She only knew that it had been her fault.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...please don't...no don't..."

Eliot had come awake at the first signs of her dreams turning dark, he had been roused by those first kitten soft muffled cries of dismay, and while he had been trying to rouse himself fully and shake off his sleep those murmurs had grown louder, more distinct and begun forming words. He cursed at the effort and time it took to push aside his blankets, and shift his battered body to sitting, then dragging himself down the couch, and finally coming up beside her and reaching for her shoulder with one clumsy bandaged hand.

"Parker...hey...Parker. It's okay. Your okay, your safe."

His voice was gruff and hoarse; worse than it's usual in the morning and that was saying something. Even so it snapped her out of her waking bewilderment and pushed aside the last vestiges of her nightmare. It was a voice she knew and felt comfortable with, it was the sound of security and safety. It was the exact voice she needed to hear when waking up from a nightmare that had been centered around loosing her brother. Even so she was still shaken and scared. And it was hard to push the dream away. Eliot carefully used his working fingers to push her hair out of her face and leaned in to look at those swollen red eyes, and her tear streaked cheeks.

"C'mere darling, it was just a dream. There's nothing in a dream that can hurt you now."

She moved willingly into his arms, forgetting for the moment about his bruises and those broken ribs. Eliot shifted slightly to accommodate his injuries and the trembling figure that was pressing tightly against his side. If it hurt he didn't show it and in all honesty he couldn't have cared less, a little pain on his part was worth it if it meant he could chase away her fears.

"Don't be so sure. Some dreams can still haunt you, even when your awake. And they still hurt."

"I know what you mean. I didn't mean to make it sound like your nightmares were nothing. Hell, I've woken up screaming and soaked in sweat a few times myself. But they still aren't real, and even if they were nothing is gonna get to you before it goes through me. And if you haven't noticed I'm pretty damn hard to go around."

"But even you...look what happened to you; for protecting me. Your hurt and it's not something that can be fixed with a Band-Aid or an ice pack. And I should have listened to Nate, he told me to get out of there and I thought I was fast enough, that I had time, that I could make it. If I'd been gone you never would have been on that roof, we all would have made it out fine. But I didn't listen. I got you hurt and someday I could...well it could be even worse."

She was very close to crying again, the similarities between Eliot and her brother and how she had gotten them both in trouble, how they had both been hurt, and how one had died...and the other. She knew it was a hazard of his job, but if it was her fault? She didn't know if she could handle loosing Eliot. She was positive she wouldn't be able to deal with loosing him if she did something that made that happen. And now, seeing him like this, it just brought back too many memories. It had been so long since she had just relied on someone to be there, to take care of her, to protect her. To find her if she was lost, or taken away. It had been so long since she had cared. And it was scary. And the closer she got to Eliot Spencer the more afraid she was becoming. She didn't want to feel this way, she didn't want to feel safe in his arms, she didn't want to care about him, or have him care about her.

But here she was, and this was real. Not just some dream. And she did care. As backward as she sometimes seemed to be concerning human relations she thought; that maybe he cared a little bit about her too.

"But it wasn't. You were doing your job, and I was doing mine and sometimes this is just how it works out. I'm not sorry, I'm just grateful I made it in time."

The conversation was getting deep and Parker realized that she was in fact sitting right up against Eliot, with her arms around him, and his around her. The heavy splints and bandages on his hands were rough against her back and the thin strapped camisole she'd been sleeping in provided little barrier from that touch. His warmth pressed against her chest, as she curled against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder as he spoke softly, assuring her that everything was alright now. The nightmare was over, but reality was a little less then bright and perfect, but he was here and alive, and so was she and that just had to be enough for now. Even so Parker backed away now, and wiped her cheeks with the backs of her hands. This had gotten far too emotional for her and now she needed to create some distance.

"I get it, that's good. Doing the job right?"

She almost punched him in the shoulder, had her fist cocked back and let fly but pulled up short and barely tapped him instead. A forced smile curved her lips as she nodded, assuring herself of what she had said.

Eliot, however had other ideas. Later he'd wonder why he voiced them, but at that moment what he thought became what he said, and it just kind of slipped out.

"You mean way more to me than just another part of the job."


	10. Chapter 10

It was moving day. Well, for four of them at least. For Eliot it was still laying on the couch and gripping about it day. Sophie was dispatched to go pack his things from his apartment while Parker would head to her place so she could gather her belongings. Nate would be driving over to the new place to write the check, sign the month to month lease and pick up the keys. And Hardison was on keeping Eliot from doing anything too strenuous duty, if you called it babysitting the hitter might just have to take you out without standing and only using the unstrapped fingers on his left hand...and if you didn't think that was a possibility you were highly underestimating Eliot Spencer.

Sophie wasn't at all surprised by what she found in Eliot's apartment. The place was Spartan to put it mildly. The furnishings were simple, a little dated but well kept. Everything was spotlessly clean but lacked any real character unless you counted an odd assortment of books, all neatly shelved against one wall in the living room. Eliot had everything there from the classics of Poe, Dickens and Shakespeare to military novels about the most implausible conspiracy theories to well documented actual historical events and battles. A smattering of contemporary authors including Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and...Stephanie Meyer? Eliot had a copy of Twilight? Sophie simply couldn't keep her fingers off that and the cover cracked open to the thirty second page, it looked like he had gotten no further. She sat it aside with a grin and promised to ask him about that later. His kitchen was organized to perfection, and very well stocked; she checked the refrigerator quickly and found very few perishables, on garbage day she'd make sure to stop by and clean it out for him. The thought of him coming home after his recovery to his immaculate kitchen reeking of rotting food in the fridge was just too ignorant for words. It would have shown a horrible lack of consideration on her part and since she certainly didn't feel that way about him, she would hate for such a lack to convey something that erroneous. She also knew that Eliot would appreciate her effort.

His bedroom contained a queen sized bed; covered in cotton sheets and made up military style with neatly tucked in edges, a single large dresser held the majority of his clothing, and in the closet she'd find an array of dressier items, many of which she could tie to one job they had pulled or another. Her manicured finger tips ran over the row of garments, her smile widened remembering a particular shirt, or a pair of pants; a few of which she had chosen herself. She didn't pick any of these for him though, she'd stick with two pairs of jeans, a few pairs of lounge pants, a half dozen comfortable tee-shirts, a couple of his favored dark colored hooded jackets, and a few handfuls of socks and boxers.

She stopped in the bathroom next and wasn't at all surprised to find it just as clean as the rest of the apartment. The medicine cabinet was well stocked with first aid supplies. He had everything in there from Neosporin to suture and needles. In the cabinet beneath the sink she found an assortment of braces for knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, and an arm sling. Sad but not surprising, in Eliot's line of work injuries were as common as a file clerk making photocopies. Even so, it made her think about how often Eliot had returned home alone when the job was done and spent the hours that she used to unwind to patch himself up and treat his wounds.

"Oh, Eliot..." She mused. "When will you realize your not alone in this anymore?"

She made a quick mental note of his preferences on toiletries and left what she found there intact. On her way out she grabbed him two pairs of tennis shoes and a warm fall jacket in black corduroy out of his hall closet. She had stuffed the large duffel bag she had brought with her and left it sitting by the door while she checked to make sure all his windows were locked, that he didn't have any fish to feed or plants to water and that in general his apartment wouldn't need any attention while he was away. When she was certain that everything was well and good she left, locked up behind herself and headed down to the car with his bag. She would meet the rest of the team at the new place after she took care of some grocery shopping and such.

Parker had make the trip to her place. As much as she didn't want to leave Eliot alone, there was no choice. Anyone else would get fried to a crisp if they tried to get in alone. The security system was pure Parker. Every motion, every step, every breath someone other than she took into her home would trigger an alarm, and only three out of the dozen weren't considered traditionally fatal. From the keypad and fingerprint reader at the front door to the laser beam field that surrounded her bed everything was state of the art. But when you literally slept on top of a couple million dollars in cash, you wanted everything to be secure while you were away. As far as personal belongings, her place made Eliot's look luxurious. All her clothes fit neatly into two suitcases, the only remaining items were leftovers from various cons; and she didn't feel a need to pack them. She snatched Moppet from her bed, grabbed her toothbrush and was ready to go in less than five minutes.

Nate headed over to the new apartment to take care of business. They had been very pleased to find a place so quickly where they felt Eliot would be safe during his recovery. They had stressed the urgency of their need as he was a relative from out of town that required an apartment he could occupy immediately that would have certain amenities. It had to be on the first floor, or at least on one floor with an elevator. It needed to be close to family; in this case McRory's; and the hospital so he could make his follow up appointments. It needed to be quiet, no children running the halls, no loud neighbors, and that made security a must so that no one could just walk up to his door and disturb the man while he was resting. In short, finding all that was quiet an accomplishment, but when the actual rent wasn't a problem, you'd be amazed what you could find in a day.

The apartment itself was cozy. Two bedrooms, living room and an eat in kitchen. A small garden and patio, a walk in shower with a bench and a jacuzzi tub. The color scheme was neutral in tone, and the furnishings were casual in the same subdued shades. The master bedroom would be Eliot's, although Parker wouldn't be a second class citizen in the other room as it was still more than adequate with a beautiful view of the Boston Public garden across the way. The kitchen was easily a large and well appointed as Nate's and with Sophie doing the shopping it should be well stocked before the occupants arrived. Nate settled in on the couch to wait for the team, a brandy in one hand and the remote to the flat screen television in the other.

Sophie would arrive first and together they could unpack the car, put away the groceries and unpack Eliot's bags.

Parker headed back to Nate's to help Hardison with Eliot.

Poor Hardison. When Parker had mentioned that Eliot was stubborn Alec had vastly underestimated that claim. And he should have known better. He had expected Eliot to stay on the couch and watch television, to ask for anything he needed and in general to put sane and rational ahead of stubborn and proud. Boy had he misjudged his team mate. They had started arguing over coffee. Obviously, Hardison didn't make it right and Eliot felt inclined to show him what he had done wrong, or at least to do it himself. He obviously didn't plan on shifting from couch to chair and to be pushed into the kitchen to do that either. He had every intention of getting up and walking, well limping there.

"Look man, if Parker gets back here and finds you up and moving around...or worse on your face on the floor it will be my ass. And frankly that lil bit of nothing scares me way worse than you do. So for my sake. Keep your ass on that couch and I'll figure out the coffee."

And that had just been the beginning. After coffee it had been all about breakfast, and again it had turned into Hardison playing the Parker card, and Eliot snarling at him. Then it had been the bathroom. Okay Eliot had him there, but even so he knew that Parker wouldn't be happy if she found out that he had helped Eliot make across the apartment instead of using the wheelchair like he was supposed to. Regardless, no mishaps had occurred.

Then it had been a matter of entertaining the hitter. And that wasn't easy either. There was nothing on television, and every time Hardison flipped the channel Eliot growled at him. Okay so channel surfing was obnoxious but seriously, what else was he supposed to do. Finally, Alec stopped on TNT and found some reruns of a 90's modern/vampire show and considering that much of the plot had to do with violence and fighting it was amusing enough for Eliot.

Parker arrived while they were still watching Angel.

"Dude, I have no idea what your talking about. Remember I didn't sit at home watching this shit when it aired a decade ago."

"Man you don't get it this is a classic. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series...it opened doors man. Joss Whedon created his own universe and it is still alive and kicking. The Whedonverse will be here forever.."

"So he's a vampire with a soul? Whats the big deal? And he works out of a hotel in LA like a PI...okay I get that but what's up with the lawyers?"

"Oh, that's Wolfram and Hart...they're lawyers. Like root of all evil lawyers."

"So which one is that Wolfram or Hart?"

"Neither, that's Lindsey."

"Lindsey? That's a girls name..."

"Lindsey is a unisex name and he's pretty cool for a bad guy. They bring him back here and there, he's great in the last season...you know you kinda...Naw, never mind."

"I kinda what?"

"I said never mind."

"Dude spit it out, you know I hate that shit."

Parker walked in and looked at them both quizzically, and then took a glance at the television screen just in time to see some guy get his hand chopped off.

"Ouch."

Her head canted to the left for a second as she considered something about what she saw, and then the actor turned and faced the camera and it dawned on her.

"Wow, Eliot...you look so much like him. I mean your bigger, and rougher, he's prettier...but he could be your clone."

"Is that what you were gonna say Hardison? That I look like some pretty boy evil lawyer with a girls name?"

"No man that was absolutely not what I was going to say."

"Why not?" Parker looked at Eliot and winked. "He's really cute, and the hand thing...kinda symbolic at the moment."

Eliot glared at them both and Hardison shut off the television.

"So we all ready to go guys?"

"Oh yeah." Hardison rose and stretched; and left them to gather up his laptop and jacket. While Eliot pushed back the blankets and made to push himself up from the couch.

"Ah, don't think so Mister. Park it." She narrowed her eyes at the hitter and he paused mid motion and settled back onto the sofa with a sneer and a shake of his head. She didn't budge and inch., just stood there with her hand planted firmly on her hips and stared him down.

"Sit and stay. Got it?"

She headed off to find Eliot some socks and shoes and returned with them, a hairbrush and a elastic band to hold his hair back. She dropped the shoes on the floor next to his feet for the moment and came up beside him on the couch, and perched on her knees to begin brushing the sleep snarls out of his hair.

"So how you feeling? You didn't give Hardison too rough a time did you? You took your meds and all that?"

"Yes Mom, I took my pills. You know I can..."

"Really, you want to try?"

Eliot held out his marginally more useful hand and she gave him the brush. The first couple passes weren't too rough, awkward yes without being able to bend his wrist or use most of his fingers but he could manage. It was only when he had to turn his head and lift his arm and try to get under his hair to the worst of the knots that it became really difficult. It was only when he dropped the brush that he stopped though.

"Damn it."

"Want to let me finish now?"

"Whatever."

She shook her head and took the brush again, and set to work on the tangles in his hair. And while she usually would have just had at it with the brush this time she was far more gentle. She didn't tug or pull, knowing that with a concussion he already had a headache that he wasn't mentioning.

"You know tomorrow you'll be able to do this yourself. Just today, we didn't get to wash your hair last night and it's all snarled up in the back from laying on the couch. Otherwise you would have done okay."

She hated the look he got when he tried and failed at something. She knew that such simple things made him feel so pathetically inadequate at the moment and he was anything but.

"It's just gonna take a little time Sparky. You know better than the rest of us that a broken bone just needs time to heal. Really how many have you broken?"

"I stopped counting at twenty five."

"And how many of them healed over night?"

"None."

"And these ones aren't going to either." She smiled and leaned down to plant a kiss on the top of his head while admiring her perfect half ponytail, the way he often wore his hair, top back, bottom loose. "And your done, see not half bad."

"Thanks Parker." He smiled and looked over to her. His damaged eye was just starting to slit open, it looked awful but she could see a faint sliver of blue between the swollen upper and lower lids. Somehow it made the hue of the other orb that much more brilliant. It wasn't the first time she noticed that Eliot had pretty blue eyes, but it was the first time they struck her so completely.

"Wow, knock me over with a feather why don't ya?"

She shook it off though and moved to help him with his socks and shoes.

All the while Hardison watched from the doorway behind them, amazed by what he was seeing. Not that he hadn't always known that Parker had a heart of gold inside her. Not that he hadn't seen her compassion, and her kindness. He had just never been an audience to it as he was right then. It had him a little jealous when she leaned down and kissed the hitter; it made him a lot jealous when Eliot look up to her like that and smiled his gratitude.

He walked it with his jacket on and Eliot's in his hand.

"You two about ready we got Nate and Sophie waiting at the apartment."

And if he thought he had been jealous a moment ago it was nothing compared to what he felt at the moment as he considered the fact that Eliot and Parker would be living together, alone but together in the new place. Ah, no he didn't like that one bit. And the more he saw of them and how they were acting with one another the less he liked it. Everything no matter how small suddenly held a new meaning for him. And he told himself over and over again that he was imagining things. He was seeing things that weren't there because it was Parker and he had real feelings for the girl. But he couldn't deny what he saw, and as she tied Eliot's Nike's and rose he had to hide that look from her before she saw it for herself.

He was even more amazed when Eliot let Parker slip his jacket over his shoulders and then helped him from the couch to the wheelchair without so much as an obligatory snap or bark. Alec was shouldering his laptop bag when the pair reached the door and Parker trotted back for something and returned with a pair of Eliot's sunglasses.

Hardison just watched as one thing seemed to lead to another. Eliot making concessions due to his injuries that he still wouldn't have made if anyone else was offering the help other than Parker. He was even joking with her about it, rather than biting off her head. And Parker, yes she still quipped like only Parker could but her focus on Eliot was almost as crystal clear as she would have been on a heist. Everything from how he wore his hair to remembering his sunglasses. Watching the corners and doorways so she didn't bump his injured leg. Even her hand coming to rest on his shoulder while they waited at the curb for Hardison to open the car door for them, and someone stopped and stared for a second at the poor guy in the chair.

Parker, Ms Twenty Pounds of Crazy, her deceptively delicate hand helping the hitter keep his cool when he wanted to tell the woman on the sidewalk to keep moving and stop staring. When had Parker become this calming presence? It was amazing to behold.

But then again Hardison had always known she had it in her, she just needed the right person to bring it to the surface.

He had just never thought that right person would be Eliot.


	11. Chapter 11

(I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. I'm really pleased that so many of you are enjoying my story, it's very encouraging.)

By the time they arrived Sophie and Nate had their portion of the unpacking completed. Eliot's clothes were all neatly organized in the dresser in the master bedroom. Sophie had purchased new toiletries in his favorite brands, so he had everything from his brand of toothpaste to the shampoo and conditioner he liked best. There were fresh linens on the beds and towels hanging in the bathrooms and the kitchen was fairly well stocked although Eliot would surely have a list of necessities to add to what had already been provided. Sophie had taken Parker's preferences into consideration as well. So in addition to the gourmet items and fresh produce Eliot preferred there was also a half dozen boxes of cereal, a box of fortune cookies and an assortment of junk food for her to enjoy.

By the time they reached the apartment Eliot was squinting behind his shades as the bright sunlight assaulted his sensitive senses, made his head ache and his pulse pound in his temples. He leaned against the door of the car, as he tried to make himself comfortable in the backseat with his leg stretched out. Every bounce, every turn, the slightest jerk of the wheel in Hardison's hands made him cringe and wince. He was sore from head to toe, certain areas lit up like Christmas with pain. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, huddling into his jacket and trying to curl in upon himself protectively. Worst of all he couldn't push past it, he couldn't force it aside and soldier through the injuries. It was just too much to tough it out. He was angry at himself for not being stronger, more capable; he hated feeling weak. And he did right then, he felt weak and useless and fucked up in general.

Parker kept glancing back in the rear view mirror. She had first thought to climb into the backseat with him but while she had run back into Nate's apartment to retrieve the bunny fur blanket that had almost been left behind Alec had helped Eliot into the backseat and he was already sprawled there, so she had taken up shot gun. It took everything in her to not ask Eliot is he was alright. It sounded like a pretty stupid question, even to her. He was obviously not alright, it was just a matter of gauging just how far he had gone past alright at the moment.

Thankfully the drive was short, and they pulled up in front of the building less than fifteen minutes after they had left Nate's. Hardison moved to get the wheelchair out of the trunk while Parker opened the back door to help Eliot. While they were setting up the chair, putting on the brakes and helping their friend from the car into the seat of the chair, three people on the corner decided they had nothing better to do than watch. Eliot was beyond noticing, is misery was palpable, Hardison saw them but just shook his head and kept trying to make himself useful. Parker however had enough by that point. Between Eliot being in pain and looking so pale under his bruises that she was beginning to genuinely worry for him; with the nightmare still fresh in her mind, and the fact that people were just unbelievably rude she couldn't bit her tongue any longer. She was crouched down beside Eliot and setting up the leg rest so he could prop up his sprained knee when she turned her face to them and spoke, her voice was loud and clear.

"Excuse me...yes you. All three of you. Are you that bored? Or are you just that ignorant? Yeah look down now, look away because you got caught being jerks. Go...go on get out of here."

She waved her hands at them dismissively the way you would shoo a bunch of kids that were getting in your way.

"Bzzzzz...Go away...For gods sakes..."

Eliot opened his eyes then and pushed his sunglasses down and looked at her, his head shook slightly. He didn't want to exert any more effort on his reaction, it just hurt too much.

"Still nicer than I woulda been."

"Well, when your feeling better you can give me lessons on being intimidating and mean. Why are people so damn rude?"

"Beats me darling. They just are."

He pushed his glasses back up then, but not before she saw him wince. All she wanted to do then was get him inside, where he could lay down and close his eyes. Hardison grabbed the blanket and Parker's bags from the trunk and left Parker to do the pushing. The doorman had been expecting them and introduced himself to the buildings newest tenants. His name was Gregory and he was polite, just assured them they if they needed anything just to call down, and then held the elevator door while the three of them got inside.

Sophie and Nate were waiting. The grifter looked kind of excited to show Eliot and Parker around the place, but as soon as she saw Eliot her expression changed to concern. She didn't say anything though, figuring that Eliot wouldn't want the extra attention.

Her voice was soft as she held the door open for them.

"The master bedroom is right down this hall."

She led the way and Parker followed. Sophie would draw the curtains closed to soften the light in the room, and turned back the sheets so that they could help Eliot right into bed. The hitter didn't even argue, he hurt so much it was making him sick to his stomach. It took Parker and Sophie both to help him from the chair into the bed, and still there was a lot of wincing and hissing involved. His eyes fell closed before Parker even had his shoes off, and he was half asleep as Sophie spread the sheets over him. Hardison was standing in the doorway with the bunny blanket and the bag of first aid supplies and Eliot's medications. Parker took the blanket from him with a smile of thanks and turned back to Eliot. She'd spread it out over his sleeping figure and then took a seat carefully on the edge of the bed at his side. Sophie continued unpacking, she set the bottles of medication on the bedside table and turned toward the bathroom to leave the bag and it's contents there.

"Can I get a couple of those wrapped gauze pads?"

Sophie dug in the bag and pulled out a handful of the packets and handed them to Parker. When she returned form the bathroom the thief was applying salve to the gash on Eliot's brow, her lower lip was clamped tightly between her teeth as she worked diligently at the task, her eyes focused on the hitters bruised face as she dabbed carefully at the wound.

Sophie would leave here there to finish the task, when she glanced back from the doorway Parker was gently pulling single strands of Eliot's hair out of the ointment on his forehead. Her concern and worry for him was obvious in her expression. Sophie could only guess at all the reasons for those emotions coming to the surface.

Nate and Hardison were in the living room, Hardison was explaining that the car ride seemed to have been difficult on Eliot, and that he had seemed better before they had left. Of course with his injuries that was to be expected, it always hurt worse after you were jostled around a bit.

"He'll be fine, he just needs to rest."

"Nate's right. Eliot will heal in time, he just needs to take it and not push himself too far too fast."

Sophie perched on the arm of the couch next to Nate and leaned in against him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. It was hard on all of them to see Eliot like this. He just looked so fragile and beaten, and even though they all knew it was temporary. It had still only been a little over a day, he should probably still be hospitalized. If he were anyone but Eliot Spencer he would be.

Sophie turned to Nate when she spoke, but her words were meant for Hardison just as much.

"She's worried, very worried. I'm not certain of course; but I'm wondering how much of what she is feeling for Eliot now goes back to loosing her brother. She has certainly lacked a strong male figure in her life for the majority of it. And Eliot's nature is to protect all of us, but it has always seemed to me that he watches out for Parker more so. She's just more apt to be troublesome."

"She's erratic, he's resolute. In a strange way they compliment one another"

Nate agreed and reached for his drink. Hardison just sat there taking it all in, wondering to himself if he was reading too much into what he had seen passing between the hitter and the thief earlier. This wasn't the time to analyze their relationship. Brother/sister, friends, team mates...the possibility of romance? Hardison decided that for now he wouldn't try to figure anything out. He'd just watch and wait and help when he could. The most important thing right now was getting Eliot well. For his own sake and for all of theirs. They couldn't work without him, or more accurately they wouldn't want to.

Parker came out of the bedroom almost half an hour later, her shoulders slumped, her eyes soft and sad. Even her bouncy step was dragging.

"He's sleeping."

She walked into the living room and sat down next to Nate on the couch; for the first time she looked around the place and nodded.

"It's nice."

Nate put his arm around her and drew her up against his side.

"Parker, he's gonna be alright. It's barely been a day. It just takes some time."

"I know, I know. Hell I keep telling him that. It's just seeing him like this. I mean, that's Eliot. Our Eliot. I've seen him take on a dozen guys and he took all the hits and punches and he was down, but he gets back up so fast. You can;t believe how fast and he wins...he always wins. And he won this time I guess, it just. Those people outside.."

She glanced up to Hardison and he nodded in agreement. Yeah he knew what she was getting at, but for Sophie and Nate she'd continue to explain.

"There were people outside, back at McRory's and then just now out front. And they stared, they looked at him like he was...I don't know...broken, sick...and they don't know him. They don't know what he's capable of...even now if he had to. I guess this is what he means when he's said that no one really wins a fight. I just, it's gonna be awhile before he's himself again. Isn't it?"

"It will happen faster than you can imagine Parker. In a few days your gonna have a hell of a time keeping him down for more than a minute."

Sophie reached over and touched the girls shoulder and Parker nodded again.

"I know. He's stubborn and strong. He's Eliot Spencer. It's just today, I thought today was going to be fun in a way and it was just so hard on him."

They were all quiet for awhile then, each of them considering exactly what was to come, where the difficulties would lie and what they would be expecting. And then the conversation turned to more practical matters.

"Well girl, I have you all set up. I mean you are wired. You not only have security at the door, you have security on all the doors and windows here. If anyone tries to get in without a key I will know immediately. It's all hooked up through the laptop in your bedroom. You have a live feed with Headquarters too so if you need anything day or night you'll have it...just like that."

Hardison snapped his fingers three times in a Z pattern to punctuate the speed to which her needs and Eliot's would be taken care of. They would be in constant contact, even though they were under different roofs.

"Now your earbuds will work of course, so if you need them use them. Otherwise you have credit at three local grocery stores and two pharmacies. All the numbers are speed dialed into the phone here, and the accounts are under Ethan's name. They all deliver."

Sophie would continue from there, explaining what else they had set up to help Parker with her self appointed responsibilities.

"Also on the computer we set you up a calendar with the dates and times of Eliot's follow up appointments. And there's a car in the garage for you to use, the doorman can call up for it they have a valet."

Nate would have the last word.

"Now Parker, I know you want to do this your way and you feel responsible for Eliot. But you are not alone. We are a team, well...more of a family. And we want to help. So if you need anything, we are less than a phone call away. We can stay here with you if you want. Your doing a great job, so no one is trying to step n your toes. But we are here, we want to be here to help."

Parker looked up at each of the three of them and smiled. She knew she wasn't being left alone in this. She knew that each of them would take over for her at a moments notice and never think twice about it. They all loved Eliot. He was their friend, their brother, their team mate, their protector and guardian. He was so many things to each of them it was pretty much undefinable. But this is where she wanted to be and she didn't plan on leaving him any time soon.

"I really appreciate that guys. And everything you did. But you all know that if this were up to Eliot he'd be home alone right now, and none of us would even know he was hurt. So the more people here the more he is going to push himself. He'd accuse us all of hovering like hens."

Sophie smiled and shook her head, Parker was so right.

"Eliot needs more space than any of the rest of us. He's so accustomed to being alone, to working alone it's foreign to him to have this...to be a part of a team, or a family. If we push too hard he will just push back and no one will be the better for it."

They would sit and talk for a little longer and then Parker went to unpack her bags. Nate and Sophie would so first, and although Hardison was still reluctant to leave Parker alone with Eliot he knew when it was time to go. Parker walked him to the door.

"You gonna be alright girl? You sure? I can stay..."

"I'll be fine silly."

She hit him lightly in the arm and sighed.

"Alright then, if your sure I'll just..."

"Thanks Alec."

She stepped up then and wrapped her arms around him and let her head fall onto his shoulder. Parker just stood there for a minute, leaning into his embrace, she knew she had a time of it ahead of her and Hardison was always strong when she needed him to be. Smart and certain, and prepared and kind. She had come to rely on that as much as she did on Eliot to be strong and capable.

Hardison just held her against him, his eyes closed. She felt so good in his arms, it felt so right. But it wasn't the first time he had wondered if she felt the same way he did. It was just the first time he had wondered that and also had to ask himself how she felt about someone else. But among so many other questions that one too would only be answered in time.


	12. Chapter 12

The second day was always the worst. It was just something about being sick or hurt. The first day you were almost numb to it, the adrenaline helped, and the hospital injecting you in the hip with morphine didn't suck. But the second day was usually the bitch. Moving didn't help any. And still that car ride kind of ranked up there with a shot to the balls. You didn't realize just how bad it was gonna hurt until it happened, and then it just floored you. It made the half a dozen little trips from couch to chair to bathroom and back again seem effortless in comparison. And there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it, but suffer through.

Okay he could have asked for an extra dose of percocet before the had left Nate's. If it had been anyone else in his condition he would have offered them one. But it was hard to say with Eliot, he reacted to things like pain and injury in ways the rest of them just didn't. With him there was always a mix of too tough and doing what he had to. If he was bleeding he put in stitches, he cleaned the wounds and wrapped them, he didn't abuse his body but he did push himself past most rational expectations. The pain didn't always matter to him, yes it was s signal that you might be doing something you shouldn't be but he knew his body well enough to be aware of when too much really was too much.

A car ride should not have been too much. It shouldn't have made his head swim and his stomach sick. It shouldn't have made his ribs creak and his chest feel tight and heavy. But in all reality he knew he should have been expecting it. It just was what it was, and it was more activity than his body was ready to handle. It made the idea of just staying in bed for the rest of the day sound like less of a cop out than it normally would. And he had let Parker and Sophie take him to bed without a bit of argument. He knew that if it wasn't for the team, and Parker specifically he'd be in the hospital right now wondering who was out in the hall getting ready to gun him down while he lay helpless in a bed with a nurse taking care of him that was way too busy to worry if he liked his breakfast, had a blanket or had dried blood caked in his hair.

Parker had worried about all those things and more. He woke up and he could tell by the sun coming through the windows that he had been asleep for hours. He knew where he was basically, although he was only now getting a real look at it. The bed was comfortable, queen sized, good cotton sheets, and a certain soft furry blanket that made him smile. He pushed up on his elbows and shifted a bit; gritting his teeth at the ache in his ribs. But he could manage this much. The walls were a very basic eggshell white, the carpet a soft brown, and the curtains were dark red. It was actually a pretty nice room, not too feminine, he was alright with it. He had certainly woken up in worse places. He tried to call for Parker, he knew she'd be close but his voice just croaked and he started to cough harshly which made him feel like his ribs were being reduced to splinters.

Parker would walk in then, hearing him from the living room; she was by his side in a heartbeat. Her hand was on his back and she patted and rubbed gently as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hey, you alright?"

He nodded, yeah he wasn't going to keel over or anything.

"A drink..."

He would have asked nicer but his voice was a rasp. Just another side effect of the medication, dry mouth, felt like he'd been chewing on a soak.

"Oh, yeah sure...hang in there a sec."

Parker dashed to the kitchen and got him a glass of ice water from the dispenser built into the fridge door. She brought it back and held it out to him, keeping her hand under it as he took it in his clumsy and hindered hands and brought it up to his lips. She just figured that his ability to use his hands right now was kind of like wearing oven mitts all the time. Yes you could pick up the glass, but there was also a real good chance you were gonna wear it. But on the other hand she wouldn't treat him like a child that couldn't manage simple tasks on his own.

When it came to nuances Parker really was handling him perfectly.

He took a long drink and then sipped a bit more before he gently pushed it back to her and she set it aside on the night stand.

"Thanks."

He settled back into the pillows and yawned, he actually felt a little better now after the nap, of course in comparison to the car ride just about anything was considered feeling better.

"It's quiet."

"Yeah, I was just watching television...everyone left a few hours ago. They wanted to let us get settled. They don't want you to think they are all hovering."

"Well, I could do without the extra attention."

"I know, I mean...I know you'd rather I wasn't here either."

"No, I wish I didn't need you here. But you just being here...so far it's not so bad."

"Really? I'm not getting on your nerves yet? I'll have to try harder."

She smiled and took a seat on the bed, making sure not to be touching any of the more lividly bruised places on his person as she sat beside him.

"You look better. For a minute there in the car you had me a little nervous."

"I can't believe how that laid me out, y'know? It was just everything at once, too much moving, too much sun, and noise. I should have been expecting it I guess but..." He shrugged his shoulders and turned his head on the pillow to look at her better, with only half a field of vision everything got a little distorted. "Head injuries are just funny like that."

"Yeah just a big old barrel of laughs. I can tell."

"So what were you doing out there alone for the last few hours?"

He felt kind of bad, he knew Parker had to have better things to do but sit there being bored and babysitting him. She was always so active he wouldn't be surprised if he found her setting up a rig and dangling form the ceiling. So the basic simplicity of her answer kind of surprised him.

"I was watching a movie. Cable is included in the rent."

"What movie?"

"Goonies."

"Goonies, you mean the one with the kids and the pirate ship?"

"There's a pirate ship?"

"You've never seen it?"

"Nope, never saw it til now. So there's a pirate ship?"

"I'm not ruining it for you."

"You've seen it?"

"Yeah one of my favorites, it's a great movie."

"I can rewind it if you want to watch with me."

"Yeah...uhm, if it's not too much trouble. That'd be cool."

"I'll just make some popcorn and grab some sodas. And we can watch in here."

"Uhm...yeah I guess so."

While she was gone he basically managed to move over. From what he could see the television in the bedroom was in a cabinet on the wall across form the bed so the best place to watch it was right where he was sitting, which meant Parker should sit next to him. It just made sense. So he scooted to the side, a little bit at a time until he figured she'd have plenty of space.

She returned less than five minutes later, a bowl of popcorn covered in real melted butter and salt balanced in one hand and a bottle of grape soda for her, and for Eliot a bottle of Miller Genuine Draft. He saw that golden amber liquid and he almost cried.

"You are an angel."

Parker smiled and sat her burden down on the table by the bed and walked over to the television cabinet and opened the doors. There was a decent enough thirty six inch flat screen in there, and she quickly hit the right buttons to bring up the movie she had been watching in the living room onto the set in here.

"I know your not supposed to have this but I figured one beer wouldn't hurt. You not going anywhere and your not taking as much of your pain meds as your supposed to be. Besides your a big strong guy and you can handle your liquor right?"

She also figured a little normal would do him good. He'd been poked and prodded, wrapped up and taped, bandaged and splinted and helped and assisted way too much over the last two days. He needed a break, and this sounded like a good idea to her. She smirked when she realized that he had made room on the bed for her, and she sat the popcorn bowl by his hip and moved to join him on the mattress.

"I'll take this as an invitation."

"Absolutely darling. Hop on up here."

He patted the bed beside him as best he could with the heavy wrap on his hand and managed the closest thing she had seen on his face to a smile since before they had met up on the roof.

"How can I girl refuse?"

"Just lucky I guess."

She opened her soda and his beer and wiggled over on her knees until she was beside him, she'd plant her bottle between her knees and hold his for him until he figured out just how to hold it using his left hand the best he could.

He was content enough with that, Parker was curled up against his side; on top of the blankets and he was resting against the pillows, honestly about as comfortable as he was going to get, he was managing not to drop his drink and she was happily munching the popcorn while the kids on the screen were tying up their older brother and running out to their bikes with a treasure map.

Parker glanced over at Eliot, who seemed about as relaxed as she had ever seen him and realized that he wasn't getting any popcorn, so her eating habits became one for you and two for me, as she just started kind of feeding it to him. It just happened that way. She didn't ask if he wanted any, she didn't make a big deal out of bringing the salty buttery puffs up to his lips, she just fed him the popcorn and maybe because she did it so effortlessly he just found himself eating it and drinking his beer like nothing was really amiss.

Half way through the bowl he just said, "I'm good." and she stopped sharing. Although when his beer was gone he did ask for a drink of her soda, and she obliged by taking the empty bottle form him and passing him her drink which he handed right back.

They enjoyed the movie and Parker laughed like crazy at the end with the pirate ship Eliot had promised her and Sloth and everything. She loved the movie and Eliot, well Eliot loved seeing her smiling and even laughing until she snorted. Funny he had never thought the way she snorted when she laughed was cute until now.

It was crazy but Eliot couldn't remember having a night this good in a long time. Here he was busted and broken, barely able to move form point A to B on his own, one leg propped up in a brace, one hand resting on the pillows just behind Parker's shoulders, the other almost as useless resting on his hip. His ribs ached and his face was a mess; and he was sharing a bed and a bowl of popcorn with a girl that he thought of as mentally disturbed even at the best of times. And he was for the most part content to be right where he was. Sure he'd change some of the particulars, but for the most part he'd been in better shape with different partners and not been this comfortable with them at all.

Sometimes it was just nice to be yourself, even if that self was a battered mess of a hitter, curled up next to the most sociopathic thief you had ever met.


	13. Chapter 13

The rest if the afternoon passed without incident. No one tried to kill either of them, there were no heists, no great escapes. Eliot spent most of the day watching television, Parker spent most of it beside him doing the same. Early in the evening he asked her if Sophie had stocked the kitchen.

"I think so. I mean I saw a bunch of stuff that looked like food. And some cereal for me."

Eliot tended to like food that required some degree of preparation, unless you were talking produce. Parker preferred the processed variety of food stuffs. Maybe it had something to do with her childhood, or lack there of. Eliot had often wondered about it, but had never delved any further. Out of all of them he tended to be the most private, if you learned anything about the history of Eliot Spencer you learned it in passing or by accident. Only when it was absolutely necessary did he actually divulge details. Considering his desire for privacy he could only afford the same respect to others. Hence Parker's past was a don't ask don't tell subject for him.

But he had wondered.

"I can't live off cereal. I don't know how you do."

"I guess I'm making you dinner then."

Parker beamed excitedly, as if she had been waiting for this very opportunity to present itself. Eliot looked to her with a mixture of trepidation and unease. The idea of Parker in the kitchen unsupervised with more to work with than a box, a bowl, a spoon and some milk was infinitely frightening. If you had half a brain in your head. And although Eliot's mind felt a little scrambled form the recent head shots he wasn't that far gone just yet.

"Your making dinner? I don't think so. Uhm...we can order something. Pizza, Chinese, I know a Greek place that delivers..."

"Absolutely not. I looked up "Recipes That Everyone Loves" on the internet and I am making you dinner...and your going to love it."

He wasn't real sure if her tone of voice implied assurance, or threat. But he was aware that he didn't have much in the way of choice. It also dawned on him that he was pretty much at Parker's mercy, as far as his care, feeding and well being. So far, so good and all that aside it wasn't like he thought Parker would do him harm, but her idea of helping could be a little unusual. If worse came to worse the cavalry would arrive in the form of Sophie, Nate or even Hardison. And in all honesty it wasn't like he was a helpless wretch, even as banged up as he was he could manage if he had to. He just wasn't supposed to. And strange as it seemed thus far, Parker was doing a damned good job of making his limitations seem less horrible. Eliot wasn't a fool, he knew when it was a good idea to push through the pin, and when something needed time to heal. He needed some time now, and even though that meant he was expected to lay on his ass and feign uselessness for awhile he was finding that with Parker there to take care of...okay to take care of him he didn't hate it as much as he usually did.

Eliot was a horrible patient, but you could get around the majority of the difficulties involved in that by assigning him a great nurse.

Take popcorn for instance. He could have fought her assistance with his usual vehemence. She didn't need to feed him like a child, even though he had one hand rendered useless and the other only marginally more capable and busy holding his beer. He could have fought and shuffled his drink and in generally made a mountain out of a molehill to prove his independence. But Parker had circumvented that. She had just fed him the popcorn, she hadn't asked stupid questions; hell she hadn't even asked if he had wanted any. She just brought it up to his lips as if it were the most natural thing in the world and he hadn't even noticed it so much until he'd had three mouthfuls. By then there was no point in fighting. She didn't look at him with pity; a fleeting glance of sympathy here and there yes, but not in a way that made him teeth grate on edge.

Parker dealt with Eliot's injuries the same way she dealt with everything. It was all very matter of fact. It was a matter of fact that Eliot couldn't walk on his sprained knee. It was a matter of fact that his hands were damaged and that kept him from being able to perform a variety of mundane tasks, but there were still things he could do and she could see the difference. It helped to not have to ask when he needed help, for Eliot that was often the hardest part. If she was already there and already helping telling her to stop seemed sort of pointless. Not that he wouldn't if he thought it was pushing it. But considering that she'd helped him shower the previous night, the personal space boundaries were all but non existent.

"Are you sure you want to do this Parker. I mean really? I'd love some Chinese, extra cookies...I'll buy."

"No, your going to love what I make for dinner. It said so."

She shook her head and left the room, fighting the urge to kiss him on the nose before she walked away. There was just something so cute, and yes she had thought it, the word was cute. About Eliot curled up with a rabbit fur blanket, with messy sleep hair and offering to buy her cookies.

Eliot managed not to call her name for all of fifteen minutes, but by then he couldn't stand the suspense any longer. He couldn't just lay there and wait to see what she was up to. And he couldn't remember a time when Parker had been in the kitchen for fifteen minutes working on anything. That was an unheard amount of time for her to be spending on a meal.

"Parker!"

Wow, it hurt to yell. She'd find him laying back on the pillows with a grimace on his face at the effect his hollering had on his already aching head.

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Stealing a Da Vinci...what do you think I'm doing? I am cooking you dinner."

She walked over to the bed and looked down at him, Parker tended to deal in extremes at times and to her forgetfulness and a head injury added up, and it worried her, she looked all concerned as she brushed his hair back away form his eyes.

"Did you forget?"

"No I didn't forget. I just...you're taking forever."

"Forever? I've been gone fifteen minutes. Did you miss me already?"

She laughed and snorted and fought the urge to push on his shoulder. He was such a kidder sometimes. But she remembered not to poke Eliot cause he was wounded and all.

"No, I mean...you just. You never take this long in the kitchen and it worries me. Alright? It kind of scares me."

At that moment the timer on the microwave beeped and she bounced up on her toes and dashed out of the room.

"I'm burning my biscuits!"

And she was off, leaving Eliot less than assured of what was going on in the kitchen. It was a very nice apartment though, he was sure it came with smoke detectors. Maybe even an extinguisher or two, or a sprinkler system.

Ten minutes later Parker was back, no alarms, no flames; just Parker looking very pleased with herself and all but bursting out of her skin with excitement.

"So do you want dinner in bed, or at the kitchen table?"

"You really cooked?"

"Yes I really cooked."

Parker's eyes went wide and she gestured, palms up with each word to emphasis an answer she felt she had already given him a few times during this conversation. Maybe they really had knocked him in the head that damn hard. She made a mental note to ask Nate about it, see if he thought they needed to have Eliot reevaluated for his concussion.

"If you went to all the trouble I guess I can make it to the table."

He pushed back the blankets and proceeded to shift his legs to the side of the bed. It hurt to move, he could barely sit up straight form the pain in his side, but he managed to not let it show too obviously. Even so Parker was there before his feet hit the floor.

"Sorry Sparky, not happening."

"What?"

"No weight bearing on that leg. I'm getting the chair."

"I'll lean on you."

"No you won't. You'll say you will but you won't. I know you Eliot, your not going to lean on a woman for help."

"I said I would, and I will. I know your stronger than you look."

He gave her one of those smiles then, the kind that charmed the pants off most women, the one that made those big blue eyes light up even with the swelling and the bruises she couldn't help but smile back. He was complimenting her too after all, and if she didn't know him so damn well, hadn't seen that look during a hundred cons, hadn't seen so many women fall for it...she might have believed him and let him hurt himself for the sake of his ego.

"Nope...sorry Bud. Not happening."

She shrugged apologetically, it really was sad that he was too messed up to cross a room; but it was what it was and if he wanted back on his feet as soon as possible listening now was crucial. He'd only been hurt a little over a day ago, it wasn't time to play the tough guy role just yet. For now it was the chair or dinner on a tray in bed, his choice and since he was half way up and the table was set she figured it was the wheelchair and brought it over to the bed.

Eliot was good at making the transfer from the bed to the chair, too good at it in fact; betraying the fact that this was not the first time he'd been hurt this badly. Parker just needed to set the brakes and help him scoot over, it wasn't difficult for her, but it did hurt something deep inside of her to see how badly it wounded his pride.

"Not long Eliot. A week or so and you'll be up and walking."

She didn't mention that she'd probably be there beside him to help even then.

But she planned to be.

She took him to the kitchen, and parked his chair at the table, there were two place settings, complete with neatly folded napkins. For drinks they both had milk and ice water. A big mixing bowl was sitting in the center of the table filled with Kraft macaroni and cheese, and on each of their plates were four hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls with cheese.

It was a dinner any kid would love and Parker's absolute perfect example of real home cooking.

Eliot was surprised to say the least. It wasn't gourmet, but it all looked edible. From the mixing cup and measuring spoons in the sink he knew that she had measured every ingredient on the box exactly. She'd also been setting timers judiciously. In short, she had put in a supreme amount of effort to make him something really 'good' to eat.

There was only one thing to say.

He smiled at Parker, who looked so nervous it was adorable and sweet.

She was adorable and sweet.

"We got ketchup?"


	14. Chapter 14

Sophie, Nate and Hardison had all agreed to let Eliot and Parker have some time to get settled that night. But Hardison was having a hard time of it. Not even a raid with his level 85 Warlock could keep him occupied and he did the unthinkable and logged out in the middle of a battle. Warcraft just couldn't hold his attention, and the future of the Horde was far from his mind as he considered the fact that Parker and Eliot were alone together.

He had to keep telling himself that Parker and Eliot were not interested in one another in that way. But he had seen the way they had interacted with one another earlier. Eliot who didn't like to be touched, allowing Parker to do everything but hold his damn hand. Parker who bounced off walls unless she was in the middle of a job had been focused on Eliot and his needs. Not only focused, she had been proactive in providing that assistance. Even in that short period of time Alec had watched as Parker had done for Eliot before Eliot had to ask, before he could argue, she managed to take care of his needs so effortlessly that the fact that she helping him, taking care of him almost went unnoticed. Even to Eliot...but not to Hardison.

He had to keep telling himself that the shower had just been a necessity. Obviously, Eliot wasn't capable of managing much on his own. But the more he thought about it the more he saw holes in the theory. Eliot was capable of almost anything. When it came to pure physicality he had never seen anyone more capable than Eliot Spencer. He was positive that if Eliot needed a shower, he would have gotten one on his own. He also could have taken care of himself, made his own food, fluffed his own damn pillows and put on his own damn shoes. Basically, Hardison was beginning to believe that Eliot had ulterior motives for wanting Parker so close to him. And he could only come up with one reason why any man would want to convince a woman that he needed her to get into the shower with him.

And it had nothing to do with washing his hair.

All Alec could think about was how Parker was so naive when it came to relationships and what men would do to get in bed with a girl. He thought about the times they had kissed, the way she had responded to him like it was all new to her. He had seen Eliot con women, he had seen that charm, watched the moves, couldn't believe half of them worked. But he was convinced that Eliot was trying to trick Parker into his bed. Why else would he be acting the way he was? Why else was he allowing her so close? Alec knew almost as much about human nature as Sophie did. No one did anything unless there was something in it for them. And Eliot had to be thinking of big payout if he was willing to lie down and play sick the way he was in order to get it.

Jealousy made a man doubt that the combination of a sprained knee, a few fractured ribs, a concussion and two broken hands was enough to even put Eliot on his ass.

He shut the lid on his laptop and left his apartment. He'd stop and grab some fast food on the way so he'd have some excuse for just stopping by unannounced. He wouldn't be happy with what he found.

Hardison knocked on the door to the apartment for the third time. He was on the short list at the desk and just had to show ID to get into the building.

Parker called out from inside.

"Hold your horses...I'm coming, I'm coming..."

She opened the door, clad in wet jeans and a sports bra. She was toweling off her chest and stomach and had a huge grin plastered on her pretty features.

"Hardison...what are you doing here?"

She was laughing but she still sounded very surprised to see him. He read more into that reaction than what was really there, Parker just wasn't expecting company. She hadn't been doing anything she felt uncomfortable getting caught doing.

"I was just stopping with some food...sorry if I'm interrupting anything."

He handed her the bag of cheeseburgers and fires and crossed his arms over his chest, looking her up and down and shaking his head as though he had found something incriminating.

"I was just helping Eliot in the tub."

"You were in the tub with him?"

"No..I was washing his hair."

"You were washing his hair?"

Alec made it sound like it was some kind of innuendo. Parker was oblivious to his tone, and just continued to answer his questions.

"Uhm..yeah. It was all snarly and stringy and he hates that and with his hands all ..."

She held her hands up in front of her face and made the fingers look like claws. Not exactly the best charade for what she was getting at but it made the point, at least to her.

"Parker! Hey...can you at least grab me a towel?"

Eliot called from the bathroom, he was soaking wet and his hair was clean; and that was an improvement. But he was also sitting on the edge of the tub in wet boxers and it was not exactly comfortable, in a variety of ways.

"Oh, shit! Yeah...hold on I'm coming."

She had almost forgotten about him, sort of. She giggled at the thought of Eliot in the tub turning into a prune as she bounded down the hall to the bathroom.

"Oh, well look at you."

She quipped seeing as he had managed to get himself out of the tub, Eliot wouldn't admit to just how difficult that had actually been. Leave it to say his ribs were aching and his knee had protested vehemently, but he had managed.

Hardison came up right behind her and stood in the doorway while Parker grabbed a towel and a bathrobe and brought them over to Eliot. She draped the robe over his shoulders, careful not to put the end of it in the tub an then started to use the other one to dry his hair for him.

Eliot only saw Hardison then and barked at him form his seat on the edge of the tub. Needing a girl to wash and dry your hair was bad enough, having someone watch was intolerable.

"Hardison, Jesus H...get the hell out of here. Can't a guy get a minute of privacy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry...c'mon Parker let's leave the man to his privacy."

Hardison didn't seem to be going anywhere in fact he just stood there staring down Eliot. Alec seemed to have an unfair advantage in that, seeing as how Eliot was covered in bruises and bandages, and had one eye still swollen shut. But underestimating Eliot was very dangerous. Even in his shape he managed to sound convincingly threatening.

"Parker is helping, your just watching...now get the hell out of here. I don't need a god damned audience."

"You don't need her help either, you seem to be taking care of things just fine on your own."

"What are you talking about Hardison? He couldn't even squeeze the shampoo out of the bottle."

Parker really was confused then, hell even Eliot was a little confused although he was quickly coming up to speed with why Hardison was acting the way he was.

"You really want to find out what I'm capable of Hardison? You really want to go there?"

"You threatening me, El?"

"You accusing me of trying to fuck Parker?"

"WHAT?"

Parker turned from helping Eliot to staring at Alec. Was that really why he was here? Is that what he thought? Eliot hadn't said or done a single ungentlemanly thing since she had been alone with him. Not that he was really capable of making an attempt if he wanted to.

Eliot pushed up on his good leg to stand. Parker actually took a step back from him, only Eliot could look that frightening and angry with his hair streaming down his battered face and wearing nothing but wet olive green boxer briefs and a fuzzy white bathrobe. But he did in fact look like he could kill with his bare hands at the moment and she found herself backing up instinctively. Before she thought better of it and stepped up in front of him.

"Eliot, no...please."

"I don't like being accused of...I can't even put into words what he's accusing me of..."

"Then what are you doing?" Alec was like a dog with a bone, and he wasn't letting go that easily. Especially not now that Eliot was on his feet. Granted he was just barely on his feet, and from the way he was limping he wouldn't be staying there long. His unbraced knee was barely holding his weight. All the rage and fire aside if your knee gave out you landed on your face. It was a case of the spirit being willing and the body being unable.

"He's not doing anything!"

Parker defended Eliot, they hadn't been doing anything. She didn't know why Hardison was acting like this. This was all insane! And they said she was the crazy one.

Eliot took another step towards Hardison and even Hardison noticed how difficult a time the man was having just with walking and staying upright. He felt horrible at that moment. Eliot was his team mate, his friend, as close to a brother as any man he'd ever known could be and here he was accusing him of using his injuries to trick Parker into his bed. Those very injuries now looked obvious and very much real all in shades of black and blue, and Eliot as angry as he was looked like he needed to get to bed. Alone, and stay there.

Hardison moved forward, Eliot took another step at him; the sprained knee buckled and the hitter pitched forward, he might have caught himself on the edge of the sink, he probably would have landed on the floor. But Alec was there and caught him and Parker was quickly at his opposite side and together they held him up. Even as he snarled and swore at Hardison, Alec didn't release his hold on Eliot's elbow.

"I'm sorry man...I am so sorry. I didn't...I don't know what came over me. Come on now. You need to get back to bed. Let me help. You can hate me later, alright. You can kick my ass later."

Eliot's head was swimming, and he couldn't catch his breath; he was still cussing at Hardison and calling him an idiot, asking him where the hell he had gotten his imagination from, calling him crazy. But the fight had all but gone out of him and between Parker and Alec they practically carried him back to the bedroom.

He hurt too much an was too tired to manage more than to peel off the wet boxers and crawl into bed. A little shifting and squirming and he traded the bathrobe for the blankets without letting Alec or Parker see anything below the belt. Parker smoothed the sheets as Eliot got settled in the bed.

"I have to talk to Hardison. You just...I'll be back with your pills in a few minutes."

She didn't really know what else to say to Eliot, she wanted to touch him, brush back his hair, something. She found herself wanting to touch him more and more lately; in those little ways that he had just begun allowing. And now hearing what Hardison had said she had to wonder if she wanted...what was it she wanted...Eliot hadn't tried anything, but...she walked away from the bed, leaving him laying there with his eyes closed and his features still betraying the pain he was in, pain that was easing up as he lay there but far form gone.

Parker wasn't sure at that moment if she just wanted to do whatever it was she could to make him stop hurting, just wanted to help him...or if she wanted more.

Eliot opened his eyes as he heard the bedroom door closing and Parker left the room to talk to Hardison. It was his turn to be jealous, just for that moment as the woman he..well, he needed was leaving his side. He hated to admit it, even to himself that he needed anyone but he too was having some thoughts. After what Hardison had accused him he was forced to see this situation in a different light than he had just a little while ago. Yes, he knew that he could have managed some of the tasks he let Parker help him with on his own if he had really tried. It would have hurt and there was a good chance he'd damage something that was already injured. But he could have forced himself to do more for himself. So why was he letting Parker help him? Why was he letting her so close? Why had he eaten crescent dogs and macaroni and cheese like it was the best meal he'd ever had? Why did it hurt less when she was next to him?

Why did he like it when she touched his cheek softly, or brushed back his hair form his eyes?

How long had it been since he had let someone, anyone take care of him?

Did Hardison have a reason to be jealous?

What did he want with Parker?

The voices in the hall were hushed, Parker really didn't have to say much, Hardison was already apologizing profusely and considering what she had just thought about, she had to understand where his head had been.

"I just...Parker you were in the shower with him. And I have seen the way he can be with the ladies. It's not an excuse, and I was wrong very wrong. But, you know I have feelings for you girl. The thought of you getting wet and soapy with any man makes me a little crazy. But it won't happen again."

Parker's voice sounded flat and would have been less than convincing if Hardison wasn't already feeling very guilty for his reaction and what had happened with Eliot because of it.

"It's okay Alec. He just, he needs me. That's all it is. I care about him, he's like family. And he needs me right now. That's all."

They spoke for a few more minutes and then Alec left. Parker went into her room and changed into a pair of boy shorts and camisole top. She found herself glancing in the mirror and running her hands through her hair before she left the room to go check on Eliot.

She knocked softly on his door and peeked in. He wasn't asleep yet so she entered and came over to the bed and sat down beside him.

"What a night, huh? He's crazy. Imagination running wild."

"If you were staying with a guy, the way we are and you and I were involved like yo and Hardison...I'd be jealous too."

"Hardison and I aren't involved. I mean, I like him a lot. But we never...I like you a lot too and we never either."

"But he wants to Parker. He wants to be with you. I don't want you being here with me to mess that up for you guys."

"I want to be here with you. You need someone, if you want to admit it or not."

"If I need someone. I uhm, I'm glad that someone is you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So, want me to comb your hair Sparky? If I don't it'll be a mess when you wake up."

"Yeah, you could do that."

"Then we can watch a movie or something."

"That'd be fine darling."

Parker left him and grabbed a boar bristle brush, his brush, the one that made his hair all smooth and soft and silky. She had noticed his hair after all, most women did and she wasn't blind to his charms. She was just beginning to see more and more of them the longer they spent in one another's company.

She spent a good while brushing his hair until it was mostly dry and sleek and his eyes were falling closed. With his head turned so she couldn't see the majority of the bruises Eliot looked peaceful and pretty, well handsome. Very handsome. He really was nice to look at, the same way she appreciated the finest sculptures, the works of the masters in oil and ink, art and jewels and other things of unestimated value she found herself appreciating a certain Eliot Spencer when he was laying in bed next to her and almost sleeping.

She turned the television on and picked a channel at random, reruns of Law and Order. It was better than nothing and she wasn't paying much attention regardless. She was far more interested in the man now sleeping at her side and the feelings that were just coming to light in regards to him.

She didn't mean to fall asleep in bed beside him and they would both be surprised when they woke in the morning together. It had been a long time since either of them had slept so well, so soundly and without nightmares.


	15. Chapter 15

(A note on this story...I sit down to write and I'm not usually sure what exactly the next chapter is going to bring. Yes, I have a basic story arc planned but the particulars from chapter to chapter.; leave it to say they come as a surprise. Sure hope everyone is enjoying reading as much as I am enjoying writing. Again keep the reviews coming and any suggestions, ideas, etc are greatly appreciated. )

Come morning they both seemed to decide that it was better to say nothing at all about the events of the previous night. They didn't talk about Hardison, or what his visit had made either of them think and feel. They didn't discuss the fact that hey had spent the night in the same bed. Granted Nothing had happened except sleep. But the point was she had fallen asleep at his side. Truthfully, Eliot hadn't minded waking up with Parker beside him. It had felt good, strange but good, to look over at her sleeping face come morning and have a few moments of quiet just to think, just to wonder, just to feel whatever it was that he was feeling in regards to the petite blonde that looked so peaceful lying there beside him. It was amazing, the difference in how he felt and what he thought as he looked at Parker that morning. When she wasn't bouncing off of walls insane she really was very pretty, more than pretty. Almost perfect, that pale blonde hair, those delicate features. If he didn't know her better he would be deceived into thinking she was some sweet, innocent girl.

But he did know her better. And that was just alright, nothing completely sweet and totally innocent could survive in the world they shared. He like her better just the way she was, stronger,more resilient, aware of just what dangers life could hold.

But he was coming to understand her more. Her childhood and the scars it had left for instance. He had always know the basics but had never been given the time to study Parker and figure out why she was the way she was, why she did what she did and acted as only she could. But now it was becoming more clear to him and he was even more convinced that they were more alike than anyone else on the team.

Neither of them were comfortable getting close to someone else. They both maintained that distance from other people, for whatever the reasons. They did not trust easily. They could make the harder decisions because of the space they created around themselves.

At least until now. Now she was close to him, and getting closer by the moment. And he had little choice but to allow it. Maybe he didn't even want to disallow it. It had been so long since he had let anyone in, and you got lonely. Human beings got lonely, humans beings wanted to be comforted when they were hurt, they had feelings other than anger and rage, they wanted something, someone to hold on to at night.

Eliot was no different he just hid it better than most.

He reached out with clumsy bandaged fingers and lifted the thin strap of her top from her upper arm to her shoulder. His thumb traced the line of her collarbone, but as she began to wake he'd pull his hand back as though he hadn't breached her personal space. He'd be lying there looking at her when her eyes open. His gaze was soft, and he had a slight smile on his face. If Parker had woken beside another man, and found him watching her sleep she would have immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was a creepy stalker. But seeing Eliot, even a battered and black and blue marked up Eliot, lying there across from her she just yawned and smiled; until she realized it was well past dawn.

"Oh wow...I fell asleep. All night..."

She yawned and stretched like a kitten, every joint and muscle in her body elongating from tips to toes; Eliot watched her with envy, he ached badly enough that he sure as hell wasn't even gonna try that, even though all the hours laying on his ass were just making his muscles sore from lack of use.

"We both did."

And it was not lost on him that he never slept this deeply, this dreamless and for this many hours at a stretch. From her reaction he could only guess that this didn't happen often for her either.

"You okay? I mean, I shouldn't have shared the bed with you. What if I had elbowed you in the ribs or something?"

"Then I would have woke up sooner. You didn't so don't worry about it. I slept like the dead."

"You mean stiff and cold and starting to smell funny?"

She grinned and her nose crinkled, she had a warped sense of humor but he was starting to get it. It was beginning to make sense to him, and yeah that thought was a little frightening. Almost as frightening as the fact that he was naked under the blankets.

"Yeah something like that. So you hungry?"

"Starving."

"I think I promised to teach you pancakes, didn't I?"

"As a matter of a fact you did."

She rose and stretched again; looked around for a moment before she remembered that they had left the wheelchair in the bathroom last night after that whole mes with Hardison.

"Let's just get you to the kitchen then and you can supervise."

"I should probably put on some pants first."

"Oh, yeah...Woah...oh yeah..."

Parker just realized that Eliot was naked under the blankets, and while she had seen all the good other than the most intimate bits the thought of his unclothed form lying beside her all night made a blush creep to her cheeks and painted them a very becoming shade of pink.

"Uhm, yeah. I was pretty wiped out after...so maybe you could just toss me something, and I'll take care of things."

She didn't ask him if he could manage, she knew he would. And there were still some personal space boundaries she was so not ready to cross. Besides, the thought of undressing him was so much more appealing.

And the blush deepened.

She grabbed him a pair of basketball shorts and a beater out of one of the dresser drawers and brought them over to the bed. Figured that they'd be some of the easiest things he'd have to put on. She'd leave him alone to work that out, while she went into the bathroom. By the time she returned he had the shorts on and was pulling the shirt over his head with care. She didn't run over, but she came up to his side and helped him slip it over his head, he winced as it strained his sore ribs; but she could tell already that he was moving with a bit more ease than he had been just the day before.

Eliot healed fast.

He'd slide himself over to the side of the bed and she grinned as she slipped her fingertips into the waist band of his shorts to straighten out the elastic. He rolled his eyes in response, but didn't say anything. He was moving toward the chair but she stopped him short and told him he had to wait a minute. He'd had the knee brace off all night, and after the joint giving out yesterday it was her opinion that he needed to be wearing the splint.

"Parker, I'm sitting on my ass."

"I know, but your knee's still swollen and the ligaments and tendons won't heal right if you leave the brace off for too long. Your recheck is in five days...humor me."

"Fine." He only agreed because he knew for a fact that she was right. He needed to keep the knee in the right alignment or the weakened tissues wouldn't heal well.

Parker helped him ease his foot up into the seat of the chair and then strapped the brace on over his leg. When he winced and gritted his teeth she knew she had it on right, and that it was fastened tight enough.

Then she'd help him move from the bed to the chair and took him into the kitchen where, true to his word, he taught her how to make apple cider pancakes from scratch.

They'd spend the rest of the day watching television, reading, or in Eliot's case napping on the couch. Daytime programming was horrible, but they had on demand movies, and they caught up on the best offerings of the action/adventure genre. Die Hard was a favorite, and Eliot couldn't believe that Parker had never seen it. He would have to remedy that lack, they'd have nothing but time and Hardison had been kind enough to get them free Netflix so they could stream just about every movie ever created straight to the television.

Over the next few days Eliot would create some movie play lists with Parker in mind, all his old favorites. Seeing as how she seemed to enjoy them twice as much as he ever did, it was like watching them all over again for the first time. Parker's childlike enthusiasm made them all seem brand new even when he had seen them a hundred times each.

He was beginning to realize that the world was a more enjoyable place at times when seen through the eyes of this particular thief. The sky seemed bluer, movies were more fun, simple food tasted better, and being laid out flat on your back wasn't as horribly intolerable. Considering that Parker had spent her youth in and out of foster homes and placement services she had a really open outlook on the world around her. She wasn't jaded and sarcastic like some people, her present company included. She'd been all but robbed of her childhood, and it had done it's damage. But she hadn't lost it entirely, she was just getting the opportunity to relive it now. Now that she was safe and had a family, and felt secure in the fact that she belonged somewhere and was accepted and loved by people that she was close to.

Eliot was mussing to himself, his eyes intent on the girl sitting in the chair near him as she watched the television screen. Feeling her eyes upon her she looked over and narrowed her gaze in his direction.

"What?"

She expected him to tell her she was crazy, or make some other comment about the odd aspects of her personality, but Eliot just shook his head and shrugged.

"Nothing. It's just, I was watching you while your watching the movie. It was like seeing something for the first time again. Like so many things are new for you, things that the rest of us take for granted. The world you live in...it must be a better place to live."

"Sometimes, maybe. I know I don't see things, or understand things the way other people do. Guess I'm just a little crazy."

"Maybe it's a good kind of crazy."

"You usually just call it insane."

She smiled and leaned back in her seat, her attention fully on the reclining Eliot and away from the guys beating on one another on the screen.

"I guess I'm seeing you differently. We've never spent much time alone, I never had a chance to get into your head. I always figured it was a scary kind of place that I didn't want to go."

While his words might not have been seen as too kind, it was his tone of voice that changed them for the better. He was joking with her, but he was serious as well. Parker's mind could easily be as frightening as place as his own. They had both seen the darker natures of people, they were both too well versed in just how awful the world could be. Which made it even more amazing to him that she had still retained some of her wonderment at anything that life had to offer.

"We've seen a lot Parker. Me and you have been places the rest of the team would never want to go, haven't we? And while I'm...well, I am who I am. You are who you are, you didn't loose as much as I did. And I think if I sit close enough to you I might just get a view through your rose colored glasses."

"Well Sparky, you can sit just as close as you want; any time you like."

She meant it as innocently as she said it. Parker was very matter of fact like that, very literal. It made it hard for Eliot sometimes when he resorted to sarcasm and smart remarks and she just didn't get them at all. But this time he was the one that decided he could benefit from a literal interpretation of her offer.

"I'd take you up on that right now but..."

He gestured down at his bum leg with his bandaged hands. He wasn't getting up and going anywhere, he could if he really wanted to. He had proved that last night with Hardison, if the incentive was there he was just as capable as ever. But at the moment, even though the prize was worthwhile he believed that he would gain more by staying right where he was. Part of him was curious to see if she'd come to him. Granted it was just crossing a room, half a room really. But he wanted to see if she'd make the effort, if she was interested in getting closer, and if he had to use his banged up leg as an excuse to test the waters, so to speak...okay so he was conning her, maybe just a little. He'd take it easy on himself and call it persuasion.

"You want me to come sit with you?"

Parker looked into his eyes and tried to read his expression; she wondered what he was getting at, what was his motivation as Sophie would say. Why did he want her to come sit with him? It was an odd request from Eliot, seeing as how he was hardly the soft and cuddly sort.

"Yeah. Why not? You slept in my bed last night."

She had spent the night beside him, and that pretty much made any unease about getting closer to him now seem sort of silly.

"I didn't mean to do that. I just, I fell asleep in your bed last night."

Falling asleep beside him had been an accident, she hadn't meant to spend the night in his bed. It had just happened, and it didn't mean anything.

"And stayed there, all night."

Eliot was trying to work to the point that her spending the night beside him might mean something.

"So did you."

"Well, it's my bed and I'm hurt."

"That's why I shouldn't have been in bed with you. What if I had rolled over and nailed you in the ribs or something. I would have felt horrible."

"It would have made up for all the poking your not doing."

"I told you I don't want to poke you right now. Your too hurt for poking."

"Might be. I really might be, but I am not to hurt for you to come and sit with me. Or sleep in my bed. Face it we both slept good last night. And I'm supposed to be getting my rest, aren't I?"

Parker crossed her arms over her chest, Eliot was being all logical. But it was the subject matter that she just couldn't wrap her head around. They were circling the issue, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted a real answer. Eliot was acting so strangely lately. He'd been nice, for the most part. He'd let her get close to him, and not just physically but in little ways that she was not oblivious too. He talked to her, and listened when she answered. He'd never treated her this way before. And while she was really enjoying it, it was also very confusing. So she took deep breath and just asked what she needed to ask.

"Eliot, why do you want me to come and sit with you?"

"I don't know exactly. I just know that having you in my bed gave me the best night of sleep I have had in years. I know that when you touch me it doesn't hurt as much."

"Really?"

"Really. Have you ever seen me let anyone come around me when I'm hurt?"

"No, but this is different. Your like, really hurt..."

"I've been really hurt before Parker."

"Not like this, you can hardly walk, your hands..."

"Parker, I could work around it if I really needed to. If someone came barging in right now I could get up, kick their asses and well...then I'd probably fall on my face. But I could manage."

She sat there and chewed her lower lip. Sh was very angry with Hardison right now, because if he hadn't come over last night and made all those ridiculous allegations then she and Eliot wouldn't be having this uncomfortable conversation. But in a way she was happy. Hearing what he said it made something in her chest do little flip flops. It was all so confusing, and she wasn't good at this emotional, relationship kinda stuff. And hearing Eliot trying to explain himself to her, she realized he wasn't either.

"I know you could. I'm just saying, you need someone now. Just for a little while to take care of you and since I'm the one that got you hurt. It makes sense that it's me."

"I've been hurt before Parker. If I needed help or taking care of then I found someone to do it, or I hired someone. Needing help isn't easy for me. It's hard for me to let anyone that close. To let them see me...like this. It's easier with someone you don't know, someone you pay."

Parker looked surprised, and not about how Eliot was marginally spilling his heart out .

"You mean...you mean like a hooker?"

Leave it to Parker to take something completely wrong when he was trying to explain things to her that he was less than comfortable even discussing. Eliot was all about denying the things he didn't like dealing with, if he pretended those feelings and facts didn't exist then they would be swept so far under the carpet they would someday cease to be.

In the past he would have gotten short with her, and just shook his head, and not bothered to explain things better, and make her understand. But this time he wanted her to understand, he wanted her to be completely clear on what he was saying.

"No Parker. Not like a hooker, like a nurse sweetheart."

"Oh...wow, yeah. That makes sense, but why? Why would you want to pay for someone to help you when you need it. I mean unless you didn't know anyone that would do things for you before. But you've known us for years...Eliot we'd do anything for you. Don't you know that?"

"Yeah Parker, I know that. But I couldn't...I couldn't let anyone, even the team get that close to me. It's too private, too personal. I haven't relied on someone in that way since Aimee. It's easier when they get a paycheck and go on their way, when you know them; when you care about them they get too close."

"And I'm getting too close?"

"Yes and no. Your closer to me than anyone has been in years. I haven't allowed it, but you...you just found a place and you fit into it so well. I can almost forget your even there. You do things for me, and I don't even realize it until their done. It helps more than you know to not have to ask you to help me. You...you rubbed my feet, you brushed my hair, you know how I like my tea and you made me dinner. No one has done things like that for me in years, and I hate it in a way but it feels good to be cared about. You make me feel better. The closer you become, the more I want you here."

Her lower lip was drawn between her teeth tightly, and her hands were fluttering nervously in her lap as he spoke. He paused and stopped and searched for the right words and when he was finished he looked to her and waited for her response. It was one of those moments, and thanks to Hardison it had come a lot sooner than he had expected it to. Three days had changed everything between them. They weren't just a team, or a family any more, there was something else there. Just beginning, just brewing, just coming to the surface. He could have ignored it, or pretended it wasn't there. He could have denied it for a long time, maybe forever. But Alec had made him start questioning himself and his motives and then Eliot had begun wondering what Parker was thinking and feeling in regards to him. And he had taken a chance, and said what he had to say and if worse came to worse she'd leave and he'd be left alone to take care of himself just like he always did. And once he healed up and they got back to work it would be business as usual.

But he had to take the chance. He had to know.

And Parker was glad he did.

She got up then and moved over to the couch. With a degree of care that was becoming second nature to her in regards to Eliot she took a seat at his hip and slipped her hand into his, her fingertips running over the exposed flesh and then the hard lines of the splint and the slightly rough texture of the ace bandages that held it in place.

"I hate seeing you like this. But I'm glad that if you need someone, it's been me. I don't mind taking care of you, not at all. Even when you grumble and groan and yell. I know your just frustrated and honestly El...I know most of the barking is because your in pain and you don't like being hurt. I like that I can make you feel better. I like that I can make you smile, and laugh."

She brushed his hair back away from his eyes then. Even swollen and ringed in shades of black, blue and violet he had beautiful eyes and an amazing smile. And even though it felt a little mean she had to admit to the fact that she had never spent as much time wondering what it might be like to kiss Hardison's lips the way she did about Eliot's.

Those same big blue eyes closed softly as her hand moved through his hair, the soft gesture soothing and intimate in a way that he never allowed. He'd had sex with a lot of woman that weren't as close to him as Parker was right now. They didn't know him, but she did. He was closer to her than he had been to any woman since Aimee. It was scary and amazing at the same time, he had never thought to feel this way again. And even though the feelings he had for Parker were just beginning to be realized. Those first stirrings were often the most intense.

"I like that...I like that you close your eyes when I touch your face, or your hair. It makes me want to keep doing it, when your face gets all soft like this...Your so angry sometimes Eliot, so violent and temperamental and scary. Sometimes your just plain scary. But right now, you look peaceful and calm and I did that...I touched you, I'm the one that's close to you...just me."

"Not just you darling. Only you."

And in light of those words Parker was rendered speechless.

Eliot reached up and gently urged her down to him, until their faces were closer, their lips almost touching. He was careful knowing that the splint on his hand was less than comfortable pressing into her back between her shoulder blades. But she didn't resist him. Even so that last breath of space between them, he'd let her decide what she wanted to do with it. He let his hand drop down to his hip and rest there, leaving Parker leaning over him, just a moment away from a kiss.

Parker might have been clueless about a lot of things when it came to men and women and the nuances of relations between the sexes. But she wasn't stupid, and she had terrific intuition.

She breached that last slight distance and turned her chin just slightly, so her nose didn't bump into his as her lips found Eliot's and pressed there gently, tentatively, curiously.

She got chills down the entire length of her spine as their lips touched and they kissed.

Eliot sighed against her mouth, and then began a slow, and thorough exploration of Parker's lips. First his lips just moved against hers, pressing to hers, softly, not rushed at all. His intentions were not as vulgar as Hardison accused them of being. In fact if all he and Parker every shared was this kiss, this moment then he would be alright with that. He had just wanted this, to be close to her, to feel her, to taste her lips and know that she felt something for him that was akin to what he was feeling for her.

All that charisma and charm, a hundred cons or more where he had smoothed their way by flirting and enticing a woman. He may as well have never done any of those things for all the assuredness he was feeling then, he was kissing Parker and it made him nervous. He was worried he'd overstep her boundaries, make her dart away from him like a scared doe. Mostly he was worried that if he put himself out there for her that she wouldn't take him seriously, wouldn't feel the same and that he'd have opened up and just been shut down for it. He didn't know how well he could take that.

Parker was just lost in the feel of Eliot's lips on her own. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and in turn touched upon his and she couldn't force herself not to allow that muscle to trace the line of his lips to explore them and taste them. And once she had done that there was no going back, she wanted to feel more, she wanted to be closer. An so her tongue pressed against his lips to entreat them to part and Eliot moaned low and deep as he opened his mouth to her and they were soon charting unclaimed territory together. The kiss intensified, it held hunger and want and passion, but it remained gentle and sweet even as his tongue ran over her teeth and hers slipped into his mouth.

And only when his breath began to come in pants that were hard enough to make his ribs ache did their lips part and Parker leaned back just enough to get a look at his face. He'd seen that concern in her gaze for the last few days now, He already knew what question she was about to ask.

"I'm fine...just lost my breath."

"Maybe you should take it easy then slugger."

"I can handle taking it slow. I got no reason to rush. As long as your not running off anywhere."

"I couldn't leave you right now if I wanted to."

"Cause I'm too pathetic and banged up?"

"No, cause then someone else would be taking care of you and I might just have to kill them."

"Looks like Hardison isn't the only jealous one."

Parker winced at the name Hardison. She didn't want this to make things strange between the three of them, and after last night she knew that Alec had already seen something brewing between her and Eliot that they hadn't even admitted to themselves until now.

"Yeah I know. I don't want to lie to him or anything. But I'm not going to let him get in my way either. I think we should just see where this leads us."

Parker nodded in agreement. Later, if things progressed then they would deal with Hardison. For now they had enough to deal with right here with just the two of them.

Eliot scooted over with a wince, and in response Parker shifted the pillow under his knee and the ones behind his back to help him get more comfortable. Even so when he patted the space he had made on the couch for her she was surprised. She figured he had just needed to move around some, not that he was making room for her.

"Are you sure?"

She just didn't want him to make himself uncomfortable, as far as if she wanted to be there, or if he wanted her there; that was no longer a question for either of them.

"I promise if it hurts, I'll tell you."

"No you won't"

She laughed lightly and then turned so her back would be against his less bruised side, and he draped one broken hand over her waist. It took some shifting and she winced in sympathy as he groaned in pain a couple of times. But they would find a way that worked perfectly for them both and she snuggled against him and under his blanket contentedly.

"This is an awesome blanket."

She was damn proud of herself for having picked it out for him.

"Yeah it is."

Eliot closed his eyes and buried his nose in the soft silken tresses of Parker's hair.

She smelled like jasmine, a scent that was rapidly becoming one of his favorites.


	16. Chapter 16

Naps were highly underrated. And Eliot and Parker took a nice long nap that afternoon. They woke up hours later, all drowsy and warm and contented. It took only moments for them both to realize that they hadn't moved an inch, and hadn't dreamed a thing. Parker shifted, and almost moved to stretch, but remembered that she was pressed up close to a very battered Eliot and decided it was better to stay still. Eliot woke to Parker's gentle stirrings and the useable fingers on his left hand traced a circular pattern on the warm flat muscle of her stomach thru the thin cotton on her shirt.

"Good afternoon."

He smiled, eyes still closed he didn't feel a need to move just yet he was quiet content to remain lying here warm and almost comfortable with a certain blonde thief snuggled up against his chest. But he also knew that she was awake now and knowing Parker that would mean she felt an urge to do something active. If he hadn't been beat on six ways form Sunday he would probably feel inclined to do the same.

"You made me fall asleep."

He gave her a quizzical look, not that she could see it. Parker was grinning; not that Eliot would be aware of that, but tone of voice conveyed those expressions well enough. They were beginning to be able to read one another pretty well. Granted they had been working together, sometimes under very intense circumstances for years now. So they had a history to build on. It was just strange that now as they found one another together in a much more intimate and somewhat more mundane atmosphere that they had to learn to read one another in entirely different ways. But the basics still applied and they were both finding that their working relationship had paved the groundwork for a more personal one.

"I made you fall asleep? How did I managed that?"

"You were all warm and the blanket is so soft. It was snuggly."

"If you tell anyone I was snuggly I will deny it and they will never believe you."

"I'm sorry I will tell them all you were cold as ice and hard as stone and that we never curled up on the couch together for a nap."

"Good, I appreciate that. I have a reputation to maintain."

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, not wanting to leave the warmth of the blanket they shared or the safety of his arms around her. Not yet. Warmth and safety were things she had seen precious little of in her life and she was loathe to remove herself from source of them any sooner than she had to. And so she remained there, much to Eliot's amazement; not squirming, not even speaking just resting there against him content as a kitten. He may even have dozed off again, but then the phone rang and with a groan of reluctance Parker slid the blanket off and carefully disentangled herself from him and crossed the room to answer it.

Eliot shifted onto his back with a wince and slowly worked his way up to sitting, He wanted to stretch, god how he wanted to move. His body ached from the forced inactivity and all the laying around that he sure as hell wasn't used to. Funny when you were up and running without a moments rest you wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and stay there for a few days. But once you spent a few days in bed all you wanted to do was get up and move. And Eliot couldn't wait until he'd be able to get up and move freely. It felt like he hadn't been uninjured in forever, while in reality it had only been days since the fight. He had no idea how he was going to cope with a few more weeks of this. He glanced over to Parker, who was just answering the phone and considered the fact that she would indeed have something to do with him getting over through this.

"He was just taking a nap. Nope everything is going fine here. Oh, from the place on Brighton? Yeah I'll take the pineapple crispy chicken..and Eliot wants..."

Parker cupped her hand over the phone and turned to Eliot.

"You want spicy beef noodle soup and jumbo shrimp in orange sauce Sparky?"

Eliot was surprised that she knew what he liked best from the amazing menu at JoJo's Tai Pei; the teams favorite Oriental restaurant. So he just had to nod.

She relayed the order to Sophie, as she and Nate planned to call it all in together and then bring the meal over to Parker and Eliot.

"Oh and bring a couple pots of Woolong Tea."

Obviously she knew what he liked to drink as well. He felt kind of badly about it since he wouldn't have been able to order a thing for her except for some fortune cookies. He promised to pay more attention from here on out and made a mental note about pineapple crispy chicken.

She was still talking to Sophie as she crossed the room to the couch, grabbed a couple of the pillows and pushed them back behind him so he could sit up and spare his arching ribs in the process. Eliot sighed and leaned back against them. What use was there to argue necessity? He waited until she hung up the phone to speak.

"So we're having company?"

"Yeah, Nate and Sophie are bringing us dinner. They should be here in an hour or so."

"I guess I ought to get cleaned up then?"

"Why? Your dressed, and no one is expecting you to be up and running."

"Except me."

"Yes, Eliot except you."

"So grab me some jeans and a shirt."

When she stood there with her arms crossed and hip cocked to the side, not looking like she was about to move to grant his request he added.

"Please." With a big sweet smile.

"Why? Why do you care what your wearing when they get here? Your supposed to be laying on the couch, resting, recovering not getting up to entertain the guests."

As if Sophie and Nate were guests, they were the team, they were family. You didn't have to get dressed up for them. Parker really thought he was being ridiculous.

"Come on Eliot you have been laying around in those clothes all day and never said a word."

"That's different, it was just me and you."

"Why is it different for Sophie and Nate."

"Maybe because you have seen me stripped down to wet underwear and they haven't?"

"I have haven't I?"

She grinned and bounced up on her toes, almost said something about the fact that Hardison had seen that now too but managed somehow to keep those words from leaving her lips.

"Yeah, you have and they have not and I would like to keep it that way. Besides, if I'm dressed and all they won't have to know just how much I have been laying around and doing nothing."

"That's what your supposed to be doing El."

"I know but...they don't need to know."

They didn't need to know just how hurt he really was. And he knew that they already knew, but seeing it up close, showing it to them, that was entirely different to the hitter. It was bad enough that Parker knew, but he had been forced to drop his guard around Parker, and once it had crumbled it seemed stupid to try and put it back up as effectively as he usually would have. But Sophie and Nate hadn't seen it yet, and he would like to keep it that way. Let them both keep on thinking that he was just about ten feet tall and bullet proof. Parker was allowed to know otherwise, but he wasn't ready to playing caring and sharing with the rest of the team yet.

"Okay, if it's that important to you. We'll get you cleaned up and dressed for dinner."

"It is..."

While Parker dashed off to grab Eliot a change of clothes, he did his best to turn the couch back into a couch instead of the makeshift bed he'd been using it as. He found the effort futile, as he was barely able to move the pillows to the end of the couch and then just found himself pushing the blankets down there as well. When Parker returned carrying a pair of jeans and a black button down shirt for him she just shook her head and set her burden aside and moved to fold the blankets and took the pillows back to his bed.

"I really don't know why your going through all this trouble Eliot. Your supposed to be comfortable, supposed to resting. Nate and Sophie sure aren't expecting you to entertain them. They're just being nice and bringing us dinner."

"What they see matters to me. I feel horrible, and I know I don't look much better but they just don't need to know that."

"And you say I'm crazy."

She leaned down and placed a kiss to his forehead before she took a seat on the coffee table across from him and began to help him change his clothes. It was a project to be certain. She started by helping him get his shirt up and over his head and down past the bandages on his hands. Then it was on with the other shirt, and she had chosen one with buttons for a reason. He didn't have to stretch as much to get it on. Once she had it buttoned down the front, she'd fold the open ended sleeves up over the bandages. Then she removed the brace from his knee, and helped him slip his shorts down over his hips. A sly smile curved her lips as she undressed Eliot, another place, another time and this would have been a very appealing scenario. But for now, she could only think about what might come later when he was feeling better and more capable. For now it was just a series of hisses and grunts form him and head shakes from her. She still didn't entirely understand why he needed to basically dress up to see the other members of the team. Eliot hadn't been able to put his reasons into words but it had a lot to do with appearing more capable than he was, he could not have Nate doubting him; even now. If Nate began to doubt him then their jobs would all change and they wouldn't be as effective as they were now. So even though he hadn't been able to put it into words and explain himself to Parker, his reasons were valid and important, at least to him. She helped him on with his jeans, admiring the way the denim molded over his thighs and hips. She found her hands moving up his legs to his hips and resting there a moment before she moved to button and zip up the Levi's for him.

"You know Sparky it's pretty impressive that a guy in your condition can still look this good."

"Why thank you darling. I'll remember you said that when I'm feeling better."

"I hope you do."

She grinned and bent over to slip his socks onto his feet. When she moved to slide the brace under his leg he stopped her.

"Think I can get a break from that for a little while?"

She looked up to him and pursed her lips in consideration.

"Promise to stay on the couch and put your leg up?"

"Cross my heart."

He knew she took those childlike assurances and pinky swears pretty seriously, so when he crossed his heart; his thumb making an X over the middle of his chest and everything, he knew she would hold him too it or be very upset with him if he was lying.

"Okay, but if you get any bright ideas, remember you promised."

She say back and took a look at him, eyes scanning his appearance form head to toe and decided that he looked pretty damn good all things considering. She'd take his laundry to the bathroom and return with his hairbrush, parked her behind on the arm of the chair next to him and started smoothing out his sleep mussed hair with long soft strokes of the brush.

"Parker, I..."

"I know you can do this. But I kind of like playing with your hair."

She brushed out the chestnut locks until they were soft and silky under her fingertips and then quickly ran his brush through her own hair before she took it back to the bathroom. They would have about fifteen minutes before Nate and Sophie arrived and Parker used the time to tidy up the kitchen and get them all plates and silverware and things. Eliot could hear her humming and turned to look over the back of the couch; wincing as it pulled at his sore ribs but the view he got was worth it. Parker was setting out the dishes and glasses buffet style on the kitchen counter and she really seemed to be content doing it. He had never taken her for the type of girl that would like playing homemaker, but watching her there he had to wonder if in another life she would have been a wife and mother to someone.

A very lucky someone.

"What are you looking at Spencer?"

"You. I thought I knew you pretty well before now Parker, but now I'm wondering if I ever really knew you at all."

"Why do you say that?"

She planted her hands on her hips and gave him that look, the one that said watch your mouth there buddy.

"Well, look at you. Cooking, cleaning up the house, taking care of me; and I haven't heard you complain about it at all. It's almost like your enjoying yourself."

"I do not enjoy seeing you hurt."

"I know that. I'm just saying, this is a whole other side of you that I never thought existed."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better neither did I."

She returned to the couch and sat down beside him. She patted her lap and he turned so he was propped up against the arm of the couch and lifted his legs onto the cushions, his knees rested across her thighs.

"You sure you want Nate and Sophie to see us this close?"

"Considering what Nate and Sophie are up to I don't think they have any room to talk."

"Up to you sweetheart. I'm just along for the ride."

Parker grinned and leaned in closer to him, her hand coming to rest on his hip as she moved forward, brought her face close to his, and whispered.

"Is it really?"

"Completely."

"You trust me?"

"Absolutely."

"Good."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, her mouth warm and soft against his lips as she explored the lower tier first, tracing the curve of it with tiny nibbles and laps of her tongue before turning her attention to the bow of his upper lip and continuing in the same thorough manner. Her hand moved up and down his thigh, careful not to get too close to his knee. She liked the feel of that hard muscle beneath the denim. She liked the taste of his mouth. And as her hand moved up to his waist and across the solid muscled wall of his stomach she found that she very much liked the way those muscles responded to her touch; she could feel them tensing under her palm and fingertips and she was tempted, sorely tempted to let her fingers do a bit more exploring but there was a knock at the door.

She settled back with a sigh and smiled at him as she slipped out from under his legs carefully. Eliot wore an expression of wonderment and want, his sigh mirrored hers as leaned back against the couch cushions not exactly delighted that they had been interrupted, but they had both known it was going to happen.

Parker let Sophie and Nate in and they took the bags of food back to the kitchen where the ladies unpacked them and Parker began making up a plate for Eliot.

"Well, how are things going here with you two?"

Sophie asked as she opened up the take out containers one by one and set the out on the counter top by the dishes.

"He's stubborn, he barely listens and he hates being stuck on his butt. But we like the same movies and he taught me how to make pancakes."

Sophie turned and looked to her with a smile; she could hear the bubbly in Parker's voice the girl sounded like she had just been on a successful string of dates with a new beau.

"Really? So your getting along?"

"Yeap, pretty much. Hardison came by last night while Eliot and I were in the bathtub, so that was weird."

"While you were in the bathtub?"

"While I was helping him in the bathtub...he was in the tub, I was outside the tub."

"And Hardison showed up?"

"Yeah, and kind of barged in and Eliot was just getting out of the tub and they were arguing cause Alec though that Eliot was...well..."

"Was...well...what?"

"Hardison said that Eliot was using his injuries to get...close to me."

"He said that?"

"Yeah. I mean he sort of said that he wasn't as nice about it."

"And Eliot?"

"Probably would have killed him but his knee gave out and we had to catch him."

"My God."

"Your telling me, it was crazy."

Parker shook her head and gave Sophie the rest of the story about how she and Alec had gotten Eliot into bed and then Hardison had apologized for the way he had acted.

"Do you think that everything is alright now? I mean Parker you don't have to stay here alone with Eliot if it's going to cause problems."

"No! I mean, we're doing fine. Hardison was wrong, way wrong...I want to stay. I don't...I mean...Eliot needs me and I don't think he'd be doing as well with someone else taking care of him."

"Only if your certain Parker."

"I am."

She smiled and took Eliot's plate out to the living room, leaving Sophie standing behind her; the grifter's keen mind replaying the conversation as she examined each word, each expression, every pause and read into them for motive, intent and agenda. She grinned at what she came up with.

Nate was in the living room with Eliot, and he was pretty amazed by how well their hitter was coping with his confinement. He looked really good, almost relaxed. And while Nate was positive beyond a doubt that his physical limitations were taking their toll on Eliot he was amazed as to how well he was dealing with them. He had expected to find a caged lion, doing what little he could to pace back and forth behind his bars, instead he found a leopard lounging on the couch looking like someone was managing to take pretty darn good care of him.

"You look...good; all things considered."

"I've been better, been worse too though."

"Things with Parker seem to be working out."

"Yeah, we're getting along fine."

Nate was about to say something else; about how surprising that was and Eliot would have agreed but Parker and Sophie were coming out of the kitchen then and interrupted the conversation. Parker set Eliot's mug of hot woolong tea on the coffee table by his elbow and settled his plate in his lap, making sure he had a hold of it before she slipped back behind him, her hand falling to his shoulder for a moment in passing.

"You all good there?"

"All good darling, thank you."

Then she left for the kitchen to fix her own plate and grab a glass of chocolate milk.

Sophie took her seat beside Nate and they glanced to one another as Eliot and Parker had their moment.

"Did you fix me a plate?"

Nate asked the stunning brunette at his side.

"Are you healing up after a death defying feat?"

"No, I guess I'm not."

"Then you know where the kitchen is."

Sophie grinned and took a bite of her dinner, by then Nate was up and heading for the kitchen, while Parker was heading back out. She sat her drink on the table a foot or so from Eliot's and then took a seat on the couch near Eliot.

"Lift your feet Sparky..."

Eliot did as requested and she settled in at the center of the sofa, and then let him lay his legs over hers. Sophie looked up and over to the pair of them and smiled, as she swallowed her food and took a sip of water before she spoke.

"Looks like the two of you are getting along great. We we're a little worried you know."

"So were we." Eliot grinned and carefully speared a jumbo shrimp and brought it up to his mouth.

"Might be all the medication." Parker quipped and took a mouthful of stir fried rice that was dripping in soy sauce and munched away happily.

Eliot shook his head, but was still smiling and Nate returned to the room carrying his own plate and an ice cold Corona. Eliot spied the beer and eyed it with envy, but he knew that no one was going to be handing him anything alcoholic, not with all the pain meds he was taking. Still, it would have tasted just about fantastic with his dinner.

The meal continued, as did the conversation mostly about how the two of them were coping in such close quarters, a little bit about the loose ends they had tied up without Parker and Eliot concerning the last job, and some discussion about a few jobs Nate was looking at for the future. Not the very near future, obviously but it made Eliot feel a little better to know that they were looking into jobs and including him as participating in them. It meant they weren't planning to replace him, and didn't think he wouldn't be capable of performing as necessary. As long as everyone assumed his recovery would come along eventually then he was as alright with it as he could be.

Parker finished her plate and most of her drink, then sat back with a nice full satisfied stomach. Without thinking about it her hands moved to Eliot's injured leg and she began to rub his calf, thigh and hip. She steered clear of the knee and didn't move too far into certain personal territory but her actions did not go unnoticed by the pair across the table from herself and the hitter. Nate and Sophie just chose not to mention it. Parker took his plate away when it was empty, asked if he wanted more and Eliot gave her a polite no thank you. He was stuffed. With a grin that lit up her stunning blue eyes she brought her hand up to his chin and wiped a drizzle of sauce away from her lower lip.

"You missed a little something there." She brought her finger up to her mouth and licked the sauce off. "I always wanted to try their orange sauce. It's spicy."

She smiled, not even realizing how intimate her actions were, but Eliot did and he glanced at Sophie and Nate and just kind of smiled. He'd leave them to draw their own conclusions. Just as they had discussed concerning Hardison, whatever was happening between them; they were just going to let it happen and they would let the team see it for themselves. No explanations, no discussions unless someone asked for answers.

They would sit and talk for an hour or so. Parker never left her place beside him and it was certainly noticed that Eliot didn't seem to want her to go anywhere. When the hitter began to lean back against the couch cushions and closed his eyes Nate and Sophie took it as their cue to pack things up. Sophie and Parker would clean up the kitchen quickly. Packed up the leftovers and got the dishes in the dishwasher. Then Nate and Sophie would say good night. Parker brought Eliot a bedtime dose of his pain meds and stood beside him while he washed them down with the last of his tea.

"You ready for bed?"

He would have liked to have argued, but it was pretty damned obvious that he was all but falling out on the couch; so he just nodded.

"You coming with me?"

"I want to get in the shower, but yeah when I'm done I'll join you."

He could handle that answer, so he let her help him to bed. Parker was a little nervous about it, with the brace off his knee and just her to keep him on his feet but they managed the short distance well. She'd help him out of his jeans and shirt, stripped off his socks and grabbed him a wife beater to sleep in. Once all the pillows were adjusted and she pulled the blankets up over him she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips and brushed his hair out of his face with a smile.

"Get some sleep, I'll be in soon."

Eliot dozed off quickly, he was fast asleep by the time a freshly showered Parker carefully crawled into the bed and curled up along his not too injured side. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips and they both slept soundlessly until well past morning.


	17. Chapter 17

Over the next seven days Eliot slowly showed signs of progressing toward better. For starters the wheelchair was relegated to a corner in the bedroom, and with Parker beside him to help him from Point A to Point B he managed to limp his way where he needed to go. They didn't feel much of an urge to actually leave the apartment. Everything they needed was there and anything they lacked could be delivered. They could call for groceries, they had unlimited movies, Eliot ordered some books from a local retailer and they were even willing to deliver them for a small fee. Parker left for a few hours once, and Sophie hung out with the hitter for the afternoon. When she came back she had a backpack full of rigging equipment that she would spend hours refitting and rechecking. Eliot still took random naps and Parker found herself curled up against his side, enjoying the warmth of him so close.

Showers began to take on an entirely new meaning for them both. They became all about heat; both the hot water cascading over them and the warmth coming off of their bodies as her hands explored more and more of his skin as the bruises faded. They only pushed it so far nothing more yet that lingering kisses that just began to hint at the passion that might burn between them when he was feeling more up to it. They were taking it slow because they pretty much had to. But also because neither of them felt a need to rush. It had been too long since they had been close to other people, spent time with other people, there was no need to rush it. And in truth they were both probably a little afraid.

The day finally came for Eliot's first recheck with the orthopedic surgeon and while they were both excited that it meant he was getting one step closer to recovered, they were also both afraid. While they could be pretty positive that the majority of his injuries wouldn't require any additional care to mend, they knew his hands were most probably not going to heal on their own. And that meant surgery, a hospital stay, and more pain. And just because the hitter could tolerate an obscene amount of pain that did not mean he enjoyed it. There was a huge difference between taking a hit during a fight and feeling your adrenaline pumping and having surgery and waking up like someone had cut you open. But it was what it was and he couldn't pretend that it was avoidable, not even Eliot was that good at faking that he was perfectly fine.

So they hauled out the wheelchair and Nate did the driving. Eliot was quiet through the ride to the hospital, quiet while they sat in Dr. Cossman's office, he was quiet through out the consultation. He listened and he leaned forward to get a better view of the x-rays but he just didn't have a lot to say. Then it was time for the obligatory tests, they'd want new films of both his hands and his chest, as well as an MRI of his knee and a CAT scan. Eliot went form quiet to anxious in a matter of moments and Parker found herself sitting close with her hand on his shoulder and whispering softly in his ear about how it was all just precautionary. She seemed pretty positive, and didn't think they would find anything they weren't expecting. Even so it became a very long afternoon, hours were spent waiting and pacing before he was brought back to her, and when he was he looked so tired and drawn, paler than when he had left them and Parker just about jumped out of her seat to go to his side.

"Are you alright? Did they say anything."

"Not a word...just all the tests. Turn this way, move that way. I can't believe how much it all hurt."

He leaned his head against her side as she stood close to him and she ran her hand over his hair softly. For all intensive purposes they sure looked like a happily married couple, young and in love and just trying to get through a rough patch.

Dr. Cossman had scheduled the x-rays on Eliot's hands first. That way they would have time to develop those films while the rest of the tests had been done.

Their findings were not at all unexpected, they were actually a bit more promising than the doctor had originally had hoped for. Eliot's left hand was healing well, even the two broken fingers were in good alignment and the doctor believed that they could cast the appendage now and that surgery would not be required. He wouldn't have much more use of his hand than he did at the moment for at least four more weeks. But that was still good news. As for his right hand, which had always been the worst damaged of the two; the best course of action called for putting two pins in his hand and then casting the appendage. He'd be looking at six to eight weeks of recovery before that cast would be coming off. But there was light at the end of the tunnel.

They could perform the surgery the next day. Eliot was both pleased by that and disappointed. It just was not something you really looked forward to. But progress was progress, and every step he took was one towards recovery. They just never said that all those steps were going to be easy.

Another hour was spent in the orthopedic department, with the casting technician. They wrapped Eliot's left arm from the tips of his two smallest fingers to almost his elbow in soft white padding and then added two layers of black fiberglass bandages over top. In twenty minutes the cast was dry and Eliot was on his way back out to the car. The four of them were pretty quiet, and anyone inquiring about Eliot's state of mind or body was merely told.

"I'm okay...just tired."

But Parker knew better, she could feel the tension in his back and shoulders as he leaned against her in the backseat of the car. She knew he was worried, maybe even a little scared. But she'd never say it, not even to him. Once they were home and Nate and Sophie had left she sat down on the couch beside the anxiety ridden hitter and let her hand fall to rest on his good knee.

"El, it's all going to be okay. You have the best doctor in the city and from what he said the surgery is very cut and dry."

"I know darling. I know; it's just...I don't like all the drugs they give you, and knowing that I'm basically making an appointment to be put in more pain. It's just a little masochistic for my tastes."

"You'd think a guy like you would be immune to the pain. You sure seem to be at times."

"I wish that were true. But the fact is I hate the pain, it makes me feel weak."

"It makes you human, not weak. Humans bleed, humans feel, humans hurt..."

"You'll be there, right? I mean when I wake up?"

"Of course I'll be there."

"Okay...it's just...I mean...I don't always wake up easy. So if I'm kind of out of it when I come around. Just talk to me, okay? And please don't let them give me any more drugs or tie me down."

"I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. And no extra drugs, no restraints. Cross my heart."

Her hand moved up and down his leg slowly, repetitively, reassuring him as best she could that everything really would be alright and that she would absolutely be there by his side when he woke up. She'd be there every moment of every day until he stopped needing her. And by them hopefully he would want her around, maybe not as much; God knew they could both use some alone time, but she'd still want to be around him, close to him, beside him.

"Thanks Parker, it helps. Might not seem like much but it means a lot to me."

Eliot had come around in some pretty grim situations, and in even grimmer places than a hospital recovery room. He's been abused, tortured and wounded. And he had either been alone, or surrounded by people that wanted to do him harm. He had rarely come too with a friend close. He had never come to next to a woman that he loved. And he did love Parker. Looking over to her now he knew that as a fact. It would never change, no matter what happened between them or where this relationship went from here. He would always love her, always be there for her, always protect her. It meant more than anything she could ever imagine to know that she would be there now to do the same thing for him. He had never asked someone to take care of him, and he wasn't exactly putting it into words now. But it was what he meant, and it was what she was promising. His bandaged hand came to rest on top of hers. And he managed his first real smile of the day.

"So what did I promise to teach you how to cook tonight?"

"Fried chicken and cornbread."

She grinned form ear to ear and after a moment of just sitting there beside him in silence she rose and then helped him to his feet. He could sit on a stool at the center island and give her instructions. He was the chef, she was just a willing pair of hands.

Eliot seemed marginally more relaxed over dinner, granted Parker had bent the rules just a little bit and let him have two Corona's to wash down his meal. But as the evening continued it was obvious that he hadn't a clue what they were watching on television, and after he failed to answer a question she asked for the fourth time she was positive that any good that had been done between the meal and the conversation was fading fast. It wasn't that she didn't expect him to worry, humans worried and regardless of what he might like other people to think, Eliot Spencer was just as flesh and bone human as anyone else. He just hid it better. And it tore at Parker's heart to see him so anxious. So after American Horror Story ended she shut off the television and turned to him.

"You have a big day tomorrow, how about we hit the shower and turn in early."

"I'm not really that tired, but you can go if you want to."

"What if I said I had a surprise for you?"

"A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

His brow quirked and he showed the faintest glimmer of a smile.

"The kind you only get if you get in the shower with me. More interested now?"

"Absolutely."

And he was, no lie, no joke...completely, undeniably, in her thrall intrigued.

"Good. C'mon then Sparky, let's got get ya all cleaned up."

She grinned mischievously and moved to slip her arm under his and press herself against his right side so he could lean on her as they walked to the bathroom. It was a series of motions that had been awkward for them both at first, for a hundred differing reasons but now seemed to have become second nature. They moved together with relative ease, and she guided him into the bathroom where he'd lean against the sink while she unstrapped the brace from his knee. No longer needing to be as concerned about banging his left hand off anything; gave him a little more freedom to use it and he'd manage to slip his jeans down his hips once she unbuttoned and unzipped them for him.

It wasn't the first time that wicked little smirk painted his lips while she performed that necessary duty. She noticed it, just as she had all the times before and an answering smile curved the very corners of her own mouth in response as she crouched down a bit and took his shirt by the hem and lifted it up over his stomach and chest.

God, the muscles this man had! Some of them should be declared illegal bu law, they just made women stupid upon sight of them...and upon feel of them...

But then again turn about was fair play and Parker was all about playing fair. The bruises on his side and ribs were fading and although she was still careful of the sore spots it left her hands with plenty of space to roam. And roam those hands did, as talented fingers moved along flesh pulling his shirt higher, leaving his jeans hanging below his hips. And the trails she made with her fingertips, were only etched more deeply into his sense of touch when she followed those paths with her lips and tongue.

Eliot shuddered, it was the first time he'd been touched sensually in weeks; and he wasn't usually this big on abstinence. Especially not with an attractive woman so very close at hand. But with both of those hands incapacitated he hadn't been willing to try for more than a few promising kisses and a steady dose of innuendo. It was also the first time Parker had touched him that he would define as erotic. It felt amazing, the play of her lips and tongue and then the little nips from her teeth on the cords of sinew and muscle across his stomach. She felt the response in him immediately, as that taunt muscle quivered beneath his flesh and his breathing became shorter and more gaspy.

She looked up with a grin on her lips that made his own wicked smirk look like naughty child's play. And then she rose slowly, bringing his shirt up with her and carefully pulling it up over his head and down both of his arms. His jeans were off next. But sadly; and yes he pouted in response, her hungry mouth did not return to his skin as she dipped back down to rid him off the denim.

"Wait here a sec. Let me go get the shower turned on."

The shower was not the only thing getting turned on and Eliot sighed as he ran his fingers thru his hair to push the long chestnut strands away from his phase.

"I got no where to go darling."

"And no way to get there without me if you did."

She replied as she turned away from him. Not so slowly stripping out of her shirt and pants; bra and panties; bikini top and bottoms, same difference...at least until they got wet.

She turned the water on, checked the temperature and closed the glass door to let it steam up inside before returning to him and picking up the roll of Saran wrap to cover the bandages and splint on his right hand.

"Hey, another bonus, after tomorrow we won't have to do this anymore either."

Granted he'd be sporting waterproof fiberglass on both hands but you had to enjoy the little things, the big stuff came along so seldom.

"I'll still need you around."

"And I'll still be here."

She slipped up beside him and he draped his arm over her shoulder. He had very much noticed that she hadn't changed into her swimwear and the petal pink and white lace underthings she wore were very enticing. He didn't say anything, just enjoyed the hell out of the picture she painted. She really was beautiful and he still could not believe that it had taken him this long to realize it. He leaned against her as much as he had to, and wished it were less but she was strong for as petite as she was and she shouldered his weight with enough ease that he didn't feel horrible for his lack. She walk him to the shower, open the door and help him into the stall and over to the tiled bench where he could sit and the spray would fall form his shoulders down.

But this time instead of immediately going for the soap and the mesh sponge she went for the sprayer and moved until she was beside him and adjusted the spray into a nearly sharp beating massage pattern and worked it over his knotted shoulders.

"You need to relax."

"Would if I could."

"Guess I'll have to help with that."

Parker moved to rehang the sprayer and brought a bath towel over to the bench, climbed up beside him and then behind, dropped the towel on the tiles and knelt on it. She picked up the body wash and drizzled the soap over his shoulders. Her wet, slippery hands then began to move over the tense muscles, kneading in deep circular motions from his spine to his shoulders and back again.

"Are you always this tense?"

"Pretty much. I don't do a lot of unwinding."

"Well, you need to start buck-o...cause I'm surprised you can move your arms and neck. It's like rock."

Just in time for that commentary Eliot let out a hiss and winced away from her touch as she dug her thumb into a particularly tight knot of tension that felt like a golf ball was lodged under his left shoulder blade.

"Sorry, sorry..."

Parker, of course, thought she had hit a spot that was hurting from the fight, and moved away from it quickly.

"No, no...don't stop. That knots just been there awhile."

"How long is awhile? Or should I be afraid to ask?"

"Remember the wedding job? When you had to dress up as a bridesmaid?"

"That was like two years...seriously? That long?"

"That long."

She returned to her task with a shake of her head and this time when he winced she just pulled his shoulder back against her kneading knuckles with her opposite hand and drilled into the knotted muscle until she actually felt it pop under the press of her palm.

"Oh my God..."

Eliot leaned back against her, his head on her chest and his eyes closed. It felt like someone had well, pulled a golf ball out form under his shoulder blade. It hurt some, but over all the relief of that tension was about amazing.

"Say that you Sparky."

"Thank you Sparky."

"Smart ass."

"Among other parts of me yes."

She leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose and then began to work lower on his back; thumbs running along the sides of his spine and fingers fanning out across his ribs and sides as she moved lower toward his hips. Thanks to the in line water heater they didn't need to hurry with the shower; so Eliot got to just sit there and enjoy all the attention without the water getting cold. When Parker finally leaned back and cracked her knuckles Eliot was all but blissed out from the massage, he was more relaxed than he had been since 1998, or so...

"Was that my surprise?"

He had his elbows planted on his thighs and was leaning forward, he felt the warm wet press of her body against his back. Not too much pressure just a brush of flesh on flesh, two hard points of which had him just about turning to question her, when he saw her wet pink and lace bra fall to the shower floor at his feet. The taunt peaks of Parkers nipple raked his back, and now knowing she was topless they felt like hot brands on his skin and he moaned.

"Nope, that was just to test the water."

"Well, the water is running hot."

"Good, I'd be very disappointed if this turned into a cold shower."

Her hands moved down his chest, feeling the solid muscles of his pecs under her palms and again finding herself just amazed by the feel of him. For a guy with all his muscle mass he sure could move, well when he wasn't beaten to piss. She remembered every time he had stalked along behind her, or lead the way in front and how quietly he could move. She slipped around him then and snatched the sprayer off the wall, and only when he looked up and sprayed down the front of herself form her neck to her panties and just stood there wet, nearly naked and smiling.

And the shower was getting hotter by the moment.

Eliot just sat there slack jawed at the sight of Parker in her wet bikini panties. It didn't take a thing or a g-string for her to look sexy as hell. In fact the slightly more demure cut of her undergarments just added something to her over all appeal. He couldn't imagine her wearing something overtly sexy. It just wouldn't suit her style, she looked far better exactly the way she was, in fact there wasn't a damn thing he would change about her. As she stepped closer, he found himself reaching up with both hands as her full, pert breasts beckoned; remembering that one hand was completely covered in plastic wrap made him roll his eyes is disdain. Parker saw the expression and moved to stand right between his knees as she sprayed the remainder of the soap off his back.

"It won't last forever."

Eliot was not the kind of guy that asked for permission. Especially not when her bare breast was right by his chin and he used the hand that was marginally more capable of movement to cup the perfectly sized flesh and bring the tip of it right up to his waiting mouth.

And it was Parker's turn to sigh with pleasure and be very much surprised. And not just by Eliot taking that tight pink bud into his warm mouth, but by the nearly electrical current that began at the sensitive tip of her breast and spread out through every fiber of her body until it settled low in her stomach, made her throb between her legs and let out a moan of pleasure. Her hands found his shoulders and she held on as her knees felt a bit weak. His teeth raked her nipple and she shuddered, and if she hadn't been holding his shoulders she probably would have fallen backwards.

"Eliot...Eliot...I can't...God, I can't stand while you do that..."

Reluctantly he pushed away form his task and looked up to her, smiling as he saw the faint blush of color that painted her porcelain cheeks; the heavy lidded sultry look in her eyes and the feel of her heart beat speeding up as he nuzzled his scruffy cheek against her chest. He pulled back a bit, sliding back on the tiled bench, giving her more room to climb up there and join him. This is not the way he would have wanted this. If he'd gotten his way. Half incapacitated, still a ways to go as far as healing, not able to do the things he wanted to her, exactly the way he wanted. But the truth was, with the chance to be with Parker presenting itself he was just too far gone, and just wanted her too damn much to say no...to say he wanted to wait...He'd just have to take what he got and be very grateful for it.

"C'mon up here then..."

And she did just that. Parker moved carefully as to not bump into his extended leg, hitting that knee would ruin the fun and games for certain. And no matter how far gone she was with desire, she was still very much aware of herself and where she was and what parts of him needed to be treated carefully. She got upon her knees, planted them at his hips and moved until her body was just about flush up against his, her chest just a bit higher than his own. A few inches between the heat that was beginning to burn brightly between her legs and the need that was growing harder and more insistent rising up from between his.

He leaned his head back and looked up to her, and she smiled down at him and brushed his hair away form his eyes, her thumbs traced the line of his cheekbones, down to his jaw; careful to avoid the places she knew still hurt. It was still good to see the bruises fading, he looked just about like his old self again. But she knew the damage wasn't healed yet and so she took time and care. Eliot felt that her tenderness, the gentle way she touched him, it went deeper than flesh. He felt it inside him somehow and knew that for the first time in a a long time that someone really cared about him. For the first time ever someone knew him, for everything he was...and everything he wasn't but pretended to be...and she still cared...When her fingertips came to his lips he kissed each one his gaze holding her own until the last digits moved away from his mouth and his chin dropped and eyes closed; humbled and moved by both what he felt coming from her, and the emotions she brought out in him.

He shook his hair back away from his face, droplets of water streaming down his shoulders and back as she smiled down at him, her gaze filled with want and love, mirroring his own. Parker thought that at that moment if cared about Eliot even the slightest bit more than she did it would literally break her heart. She could feel the weight of the emotion in her chest, in every resounding beat. It moved through her body, made every place that touch feel as if it were tingling. She could feel the emotion rising in the back of her throat, a lump had formed there that she couldn't make go away no matter how many times she swallowed and the more she thought about it the more she felt it. Looking down at him, as he gazed up at her she was almost brought to tears. It had been so long since she had loved someone, she wasn't certain her heart could hold all that emotion, all that fear, all that uncertainty. Her lithe figure began to tremble and Eliot looked up to her momentarily confused.

"Parker, what is it? Your shaking..."

"I...I'm afraid...I never thought, it's not like I've never...but this feels different. It scares me."

He wrapped his arms more tightly around her, and drew her body up against his chest, buried his face in the curve of her shoulder and whispered.

"I understand. Your right...this is different. It's not casual, it's not one night...I care about you. I've cared about you for a long time, and now..."

He shrugged and smiled and kissed her neck, dragging his mouth over the flesh, moving up toward her ear.

"Now...I care more, differently...that's not going to change, that's never going to change."

She nodded and her hands moved up and down his back, thumbs trailing along the sides of his spine; up his neck to the base of his skull, fingertips weaving into his hair. Her body pressed against his, her breasts high on his chest, every inch of her soft and warm, inviting and welcoming. It had been forever since the feel of a woman in his arms brought out so much emotion in Eliot. As for Parker, she had never felt what she did at that moment. That mixture of safety, security, and acceptance, along with fear, and almost panic. He could feel it himself, he read it in the way she clung to him, almost desperate riding a thin line between being afraid and wanting the very thing that frightened her.

"We don't have to do this Parker. We don't have to do anything..."

She leaned back and swallowed the lump in her throat down, shook her head no and lowered herself into his lap, feeling the hard rise of his passion against the very heat of her. They both moaned in unison at the burning ache, the undeniable want for one another.

"I know...but I want to. I want you."

Later that night; Eliot lay sleeping with Parker curled up at his side. With her head pillowed on his shoulder, and her hand resting on his chest; she brought his hand up to her chest and held the fingertips over her heart and felt the drumming of every beat until the rhythms matched pace. They might not have said those words yet, but she knew she didn't need to hear them voiced. She was already certain...


	18. Chapter 18

Even though neither of them thought that they would, they both got some degree of sleep that night. Parker found security and comfort in the arm that wrapped around her and a sense of belonging after making love with Eliot in the shower, and a little later in the bed. Every time Eliot woke, Parker was laying beside him; all warm and soft to the touch she gave him something real to hold on to. He knew she would do exactly what she promised to, and that meant he wouldn't be alone in this. There would be someone close to protect him, when he couldn't do so for himself. Someone to help him, when he needed it and to appreciate his boundaries when he didn't.

His surgery was scheduled for 9am, and they'd need to get to the hospital early to fill out paperwork and make sure that everything was settled and Eliot was as ready to go as he was going to get. Nate and Sophie would be driving them, and thanks to the roles they had already adopted as Eliot's brother and sister in law they would be staying with Parker while he was in the operating room. Alec would be 'on hand' so to speak, he had decided to pose as a physical therapist, figuring that would grant him access to most of the hospital.

They got an obviously tense, and snappish Eliot checked into his hospital room, changed out of his street clothes and settled into bed. Then a steady stream of paperwork to be filled out and signed came and went. Sophie did the filling out, leaving Eliot scrawling out his pseudonym on the right lines. Staff came and went, taking vitals, and drawing blood for the pre- surgery screenings. And even though the preliminaries took almost two hours, it seemed like the time flew right past and then it was time for him to be wheeled away. Nate clapped him on the shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"We'll see you in a few hours."

Sophie leaned in and hugged him tightly for a moment and brushed a kiss to his scruffy cheek.

"We'll be waiting right here for you, you'll be back in the apartment before dinner time."

He nodded to them both, reminded them that he wasn't worried and the room fell into silence. Eliot looked from Nate to Sophie and then to Parker and then cast them each another glance before he half barked at the grifter and the boss.

"Do you think you can give us a minute...alone..."

"Oh, of course...of course..."

Sophie grabbed Nate's hand and dragged him out into the hallway, the fact that their hitter and thief so much as wanted alone time would take some getting used to. Eliot had left his ear bud at the apartment. Parker moved to the side of the bed, slipped up onto the mattress beside him and wrapped the hand they were about to cut into in both of hers gently. He pointed to his ear and after a moment of confusion she got the hint and removed her ear bud. With it cupped in her palm no one should be able to hear what they said too distinctly.

"It's all gonna be fine Sparky. We went over it last night."

"I know, I just wanted a minute with you before they came to get me. Part of the role, right?"

"Oh, right...we're engaged. That means you owe me a diamond!"

"Well, I guess it does. I'll find you a pretty one when I get out of here."

"Promise?"

"Absolutely."

She smiled and leaned in to press her lips to his, the kiss was long and lingering, and they could both tell that even though they would never say it they were both worried. It was a simple human reaction. And they were just human after all. Their lips reluctantly parted as a nurse cleared her throat from the doorway. Parker smiled and reached up to push the hair out of his face.

"I'll be here when you get back."

"In that case I'll try not to sleep too long."

And then they were taking him away, and all she could do was watch as they took him away. It helped to know that Nate had made arrangements for them to be allowed to wait in observation area that viewed the operating room. It wasn't uncommon for concerned families to like to be close by, and the view they would have would hardly be detailed. Just enough to see that he was alright. Parker put her ear bud back in place and walked out into the hallway behind the escort that was taking Eliot down the hall. She waved to him, but he didn't see it, it was just a nervous sort of gesture really. In fact as she lowered her hand she felt about as fluttery as a bird. As if she didn't physically know what to do with herself. Powerlessness was frightening and Parker looked very much agitated by the feeling of having nothing useful to do to help Eliot. Sophie immediately honed in on that body language and wrapped an arm around the blond girl's shoulders and hugged her against her side.

"Everything is going to be fine. Come on now, let's go get something to drink. We have some time before they will be starting."

"I'm not thirsty."

"I think they make hot chocolate with real steamed milk..."

"They do?"

Sophie nodded and for a moment Parker looked interested, but then she just shook her head.

"Not having hot chocolate isn't going to make this any easier for you, or for him."

"I know, I just wish I knew something that would."

The escort with the stretcher turned the corner, leaving the three of them staring down an empty hallway. Only then did Parker agree to go down to the cafeteria. Once there she ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream, but she passed on the double chocolate chip muffin to go along with it. She'd have treats later when she and Eliot could bake them together.

Nate was reading a magazine article in Forbes, he had read it three times already but couldn't have told you who it was even about. Sophie was reading Tweets, and although a few of them were mildly amusing she didn't seem to see the humor in any of them. Parker was sitting on the narrow lip of sill beside the observation window, looking down at the operating room. You couldn't really see anything, you had to know it was Eliot down there because you couldn't see his face. He was just a figure covered in blue sheets, with both arms spread out at shoulder level and tied down. There were four people surrounding him, and a bevy of machines beeping and pulsing away. Parker breathed out and left a fog on the glass, and then traced a spiral in it with her fingertip. The surgeon had been working on Eliot for almost an hour, and the waiting was making her crazy.

Parker was more than crazy enough to begin with, she didn't need the help.

She stared down at the scene taking place below, her keen eyes taking in the details, watching as the people moved around and did their work. She stared so long her gaze went blank, her forehead pressed to the glass and her mind wandering aimlessly...remembering when she had stolen an assortment of pastiches from the Louvre...when she could have sworn she'd seen Eliot's arm jerk in the restraints. She sat up some and wiped the fog form the window with the sleeve of her shirt to get a better look.

"Nate...Nate come here..."

Nate folded his magazine over and walked up to the glass and looked down at the room below them.

"What is it?"

"He moved, Eliot...I swear his arm jerked."

Nate stood there for a moment, but didn't see anything. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and looked back to Sophie shaking his head no. He hadn't seen anything to cause concern.

"Eliot's very heavily sedated Parker. He can't feel a thing, won't remember any of this once he wakes up."

"I know, I just...I could have sworn..."

Parker looked back down and that time she knew what she saw. Eliot's arm jerked in the restraints. Before she could say another word that motion was followed by a series of others. Each one less involuntary than the next. Before the nurse could do anything Eliot snapped awake, awake and tied down, awake and being cut into. Awake and pulling with all his strength on the thin Velcro strap that held his arm down. Blood sprayed as he broke the hold of it and reached for the mask that covered his mouth and nose. He was gasping, coughing on the tube that invaded his throat. He swung wildly at the people that tried to get a hold of him. Shoving one of them back hard enough to knock them on their ass. He pulled the endotrachial tube out partially, only succeeding in lodging it firmly in his windpipe, and blocking off the airway. Panicking he lunged from the table.

"Oh my God...Nate...He's awake! He's awake! Do something, help him..."

Parker beat on the glass with her fists and watched in horror as the scene unfolded below her. It was one of the worst things she had ever seen and knowing all that she knew about Eliot Spencer she could only imagine what he was going through...not just the pain but the panic, the need to fight them, the people that were hurting him...torturing him...holding him captive...

It only lasted a few minutes. But it was more than long enough to etch those events into her mind. Tears coursed down her face as she called his name. Nate grabbed her from behind and held her fast as she made a break for the door. No one was helping him...she had to do something.

Down in the operating room someone had gotten a needle into his IV line and injected him with a strong dose of sedative, they were working to put the tube back down his throat and to tether his arms back down more securely. The anesthesiologist was turning dials and examining the intricacies of her machine. trying to figure out how the man on the table had possibly come out from under the level of sedation that Eliot had been under.

Hardison had heard the entire scene over his ear bud and had come running up to the room where the rest of the team had been watching the surgery. He paused in the hallway looking in as Parker collapsed. sobbing in Nate's arms her hands trailing down the glass, her voice sounding broken and horrified.

"What happened? Someone find out what happened?"

She buried her face in Nate's shoulder, shaking all over as he ran his hands up and down her back to try and soothe her. Sophie had moved close and was talking softly in the girls ear.

"It's alright now Parker. He's alright. That was...God that was horrible, but they have him back under now. He just woke up...and it's...well it's Eliot and he woke up swinging and trying to get free."

"He woke up tied to a table, with someone cutting into him...He woke up with a tube down his throat and people in masks all around him...He couldn't hear us, he didn't know where he was...I promised him, God I promised him that wouldn't happen that I'd be there when he woke up, and that I wouldn't let anyone hurt him...I swore Nate, I swore I wouldn't let anyone hurt him and they did. I let them..."

"No, Parker, no...you didn't let anything happen to him. And he will understand, he won't blame you."

"Yes he will, because I promised...and he'll hate me know and I can't bear that. Sophie..."

She reached out for the other woman's hand, hoping that she would understand what was in her heart, understand without her having to say the words she had just begun thinking to herself. She wasn't ready to feel this way, she sure wasn't ready to loose it so soon.

"Sophie, I can't...not now. If he hates me now..."

Sophie took both of Parker's hands in her own and held them fast.

"Parker, that's not going to happen. Eliot is not going to hate you. Not for something you couldn't possibly control."

Alec just stood there and watched, he felt like he was on the outside looking in and didn't want to interrupt the people in the room. But his eyes were on Parker and he was not oblivious to her reaction to what had happened to Eliot. Yes, they were all in shock and concerned but Parker had reacted far more strongly than any of the rest of them. Her reaction had been far beyond that of a friend, a sister, a teammate...she had reacted like a woman, a woman in love with someone. Very much in love with someone. The realization of that stuck like a lump in his throat it made his heart sink into the pit of his stomach and lodge itself there, making him feel sick. He cared about that woman, he may even have loved her. But he was now certain beyond any doubt that she was in love with someone else. Someone he was close to as well.

At least it was someone that knew her, knew all about her. There would be no lies, there wouldn't have to be. And Eliot would protect her, with his life if need be. He'd never have to worry that he didn't have her back, Eliot had all their backs. And it wasn't like Alec was going anywhere...they were a team. They were a family. Yes this would make things difficult for a time, but it didn't change what they did and who they were. It didn't change who they had become to one another.

And if Eliot hurt her, then Hardison would hurt him.

With that in mind the hacker entered the room and walked over to Parker. She held her arms up to him and he helped her to stand and then folded her petite figure into his embrace and held her there.

"Hey, hey...not your fault baby girl. Not your fault and he'll know that. He'd be crazy to blame you. C'mon now, come and sit down; settle down...I'll get myself in there and find out what happened and what's going on now. You need to dry your eyes and catch your breath, calm yourself now...you don't want him waking up and seeing you like this, do you now?"

She shook her head no and nodded when he said he'd get in there to see what was going on. She knew she could count of Alec to bring them back all the information. She knew she could count on him, always.


	19. Chapter 19

Hardison found the trio in the waiting room on Eliot's floor less than an hour later, with an update on the situation.

"They say it's rare, but some times people simply fight the anesthesia. It's calculated by weight; not will. But while his waking up was..scary and painful he didn't manage to do himself any more damage. They said the surgery went well, his hand is all pieced back together and he's sleeping off that extra dose of sedative."

He took a seat next to Parker and placed her hand on her knee, leaning down so he could look at her, look into her eyes and get a read on what she was feeling. What he saw there was exactly what he had been expecting to see. Fear, worry, concern...a bit more than he had ever expected to see in regards to Eliot Spencer, but it was there and that was just something he would have to learn to handle. If he loved her he wanted her to be happy, he wanted to be part of her life and part of this team. That much hadn't changed. So it was time to do what family did, and support her. Be there for her and assure her that everything was going to work out.

"It's alright parker. He's going to be fine, right now he just...he needs you there when he comes around. Your who he is going to want to see to know that everything is alright...so go..."

She smiled and popped up from her seat, glancing back to Sophie and Nate where they sat and nodding to the three of them. Sneaking back to Eliot's room would be a piece of cake, and once there she could make herself all but invisible if a nurse or someone looked in to check on him. Technically they'd wait for him to regain conciousness before they allowed visitors. But she had made a promise and considering everything that had happened it was even more important that she keep it. So she slipped down the halls unnoticed and crept into Eliot's room, soundlessly pulled a chair up beside his bed and leaned in to gently trace over the cast that encased his badly wounded hand.

"You can wake up any time now Sparky."

She smiled and leaned in close to brush a kiss to the exposed fingers, they looked swollen and sore but whole. He was healing, a bit at a time. He was a long way from recovered but she'd make absolutely certain he got there. She spent the time he was sleeping studying his face. In the dim light from the small reading lamp above the bed you couldn't see all the scars, you didn't notice the fading bruises, or the fact that his lower lip was still very slightly swollen. So she just saw his face, that familiar face. Scruff covered chin and jaw line, strong cheekbones, feather soft eyelashes. She found herself rising to brush the hair away from his face and tracing the lines of those features with her soft fingertips. Etching each nuance into her memory, just in case some how some day he wouldn't be there for her to see him, to touch him, to be with him. Knowing Eliot the way she did that was a very real possibility. Time together would be precious and she planned to make the most of every moment of it. She knew she could never change him, and she'd never want to. She loved him for exactly who he was, and knew the man he could be. He might see himself as a criminal, even a killer but to her he was always the anti-hero, the dark knight, the hand reaching out of the darkness that promised to never let go.

She smiled and carefully lowered the bar on the side of the bed, making sure not to get the IV lines tangled or disrupt any of the machines they had him hooked up to. She knew if it was her lying there, that there was no place she would want him more than right beside her when she woke up. So she climbed up on the bed and curled up against his side, mindful of what his aches and pains would be when he came around. She still found a place that seemed custom made to fit her petite figure, and she settled there, nuzzling her nose and lips against the curve of his neck and breathing in the scent of him.

"I love you Eliot. But if you ever scare me like that again I might just have to string you up by your toenails."

The thief snuggled there contentedly for almost another hour before the hitter showed his first signs of stirring awake. She was glad that he woke up gradually. She had the reflexes to spring form the bed should he come to swinging, but it would have broken her heart to not be able to comfort him, to ease his fears and panic. She sat up, leaning on an elbow and stroked the side of his face softly, her voice low and whispery close to his ear.

"Hey there...c'mon now open your eyes. It's time to wake up baby."

Even hearing her voice and feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his side was not enough to fully rouse Eliot from his nightmares. He was shut away in a place that was cold, where he was bound to a table and someone was ripping into his arm with sharp instruments. He only knew restraint and pain and felt the need to fight his way free. But it had taken so long to make his body move, to force his tethered limbs to respond and when he had the torture hadn't stopped it had only worsened. No questions were asked, no interrogation, just the pain and a fury of activity all around him, as hands moved to hold him back and pin him down as he choked on the tube they had shoved down his thoat...he'd almost gotten it out but then it was stuck, and he couldn't breath around it. He was aware of it when they forced it back in, and oxygen had filled his burning lungs, he knew when they had turned the gas back on, and those seven seconds in between quasi alertness and darkness had been some of the most frightening of his life.

And when he came around now, he was still caught up in that moment, so he reached conciousness and jerked away with a grunt, and started to hack and cough as he reached for the IV lines that were taped into the curve of his right elbow. Swollen, arching fingers only managed to bat at them enough to make the needles in his veins sting. But it gave Parker time to take his hand and bring it back to her side of the bed while she sat up and gently drew his chin to her face and made him focus, made him look her way...made him see her.

"Eliot...it's alright. It's alright...I'm here...like I promised baby. I'm right here..."

Reality and his terrors came crashing together leaving him confused and uncertain but calming hmi enough that he fell back weakly against the matrtess and pillows and laid there staring at Parker while she moved in closer to him and brushed her lips along his jawline, up close to his ear and whispered.

"It's over baby. It's all over...you sure scared the hell out of us. You woke up in the middle of your surgery and started fighting the doctors. And there was nothing I could do to help you, to stop you...but it's over now and you can rest. You can sleep and no one is going to hurt you. I'm here...your safe..."

He tried to talk but his throat was swollen and the words came out as nothing more than grunts and wheezes. He reached up with his marginally more useful hand and touched his throat and Parker nodded softly.

"Let me see what I can get you. You just hang tight here and I'll tell the nurses your awake."

She was up and out of his bed as quick as a flash, and in the hall she went straight to the nurses station and loudly excused her way into their notice. Later they would wonder how she came to be in his room before they had even realized the patient was awake. For now they just had to contend with Parker, on a mission.

"Excuse me! Hello...! Excuuussseeee Meeee! Room 307 is awake and he needs something for the pain...and for his throat...You really don't want me to go and get things for myself now do you?"

And she would too, Parker already knew where every laundry chute, every computer terminal, every electrical socket, and tray cart was on Eliot's floor. She had committed all the nurses names and schedules to her memory and knew the routes they took on rounds. She could snatch a lab coat and a swipe card, the keys she'd need for the dispensary and calculate his dosage in the computer system before they found a paper cup for ice chips. And if someone didn't answer her very quickly she'd go ahead and do exactly that.

But fortunately for her one of the nurses she liked came back to the station at just that moment and smiled her way. She already had a water pitcher and a cup of ice chips in hand and told Parker that she'd be right in to adjust the drip on his morphine.

"Thank you."

Parker smiled huge and fake and bobbed her head side to side in her best parody of thanks. Maybe she had seen it in a movie once. Sometimes all of Sophie's hard work just amounted up to nothing. She was getting better as an actress but she'd never win the Academy Award.

She trotted back to Eliot's room and took a place at his side, he was still awake and uncomfortable and she shook the cup of ice chips in her hand and smiled his way as she got closer to the bed.

"Yummy...look what we have for you..."

He rolled his eyes, but at least he was being grouchy instead of in a panic, so you took what you could get. She plated her backside on the edge of the bed and brought the plastic spoon up to his lip and even though he glared at her he took half a spoon of ice chips into his mouth and let them melt. The nurse came in then and adjusted the morphine drip. Within moments he'd be drifting, forgetting himself, all the things he was and was supposed to be. And just letting the simple human needs for comfort, and touch, closeness and care to master his motions. Parker read him well, and crawled into bed beside him, kicking off her shoes and curling up at his side so his head was resting against her chest. One hand smoothed his hair while the other fed him chips of ice a little bit at a time. When Sophie and Nate entered the room he looked up, sighed and laid his head back down where it had been. For just a little while he stopped caring about what they saw when they looked at him. He stopped caring if he looked strong or weak, reliable or spent. He was hurt, exhausted and worn to the bone, he wanted to close his eyes and sleep for days...with Parker beside him.

Parker gave Nate and Sophie a weary, saddened sort of smile. How happy could you be when the one you loved was hurting? But in the end everything would be alright and that was what was important, no matter how bumpy the road had been that got you there. His eyes were closed and she spoke softly not to wake him if he had fallen back to sleep.

"He's alright. He knows where he is and that his friends are here, and that nothing bad is going to happen to him if he closes his eyes."

Hearing parker referring to him as if he were not in the room he opened those bleary blue eyes and looked up to her with a very faded excuse for his usual degree of menace.

"Sorry...I thought you were sleeping..."

She leaned in and kissed his forehead, bringing another spoonful of ice up to his lips.

"Was there something you wanted to say?"

He looked over to Nate and Sophie raised two of the fingers that worked on his less wounded hand and mouthed the word No. He could have spoken it aloud but the attempt not only would have hurt like hell, it would have been pathetic to hear so he saved himself the trouble.

"Didn't think so."

Parker smiled and hugged him gently against her side. The hitter smiled faintly and let his eyes close again.

"It's been a long day. We should get going and let him get some sleep."

Sophie rose form her seat and walked over to Eliot and Parker; laying a hand tenderly to Eliot's shoulder and then taking Parker's hand in hers for a moment.

"I was just going to stay here, with him...I don't think it will keep him from getting his rest."

Nate was rising form his chair and ready to wrgue that parker needed her rest too but Sophie glanced over his way and shook her head no. She knew that if it was Nathan in that bed she wouldn't get a wink of sleep unless she was right there beside him. Considering Parker's somewhat innocently developed emotions, and the fact that Eliot was possibly the first man she'd formed an adult relationship with Sophie could only imagine what being apart form him would do to the thief.

"I think your absolutely right."

She nodded and moved away form the bed leaving Parker to contentedly comfort and protect her wounded lover.

"Hey Nate...can you bring me the blanket. The furry one..."

Nate brought it over and helped her open it up and lay it out over Eliot and herself. He could have sworn the hitter smiled faintly as the soft faux fur settled over his sleeping figure.

He left them then, meeting up with Sophie in the hallway she slipped her arm around his waist and looked up to him, trying to determine what was going on in the depths of his always calculating mind.

"What are you thinking about Nathan?"

"It's just...I usually see things coming a mile away but this. I never would have dreamed of this?"

"What Eliot getting hurt protecting one of us? How can you really be surprised by that?"

"No, Eliot loosing his heart to a crazy thief and a bunny fur blanket."


	20. Chapter 20

Daylight broke and Eliot's eyelids opened with a great deal of reluctance. A mixture of pain the medication to dull it left him feeling sluggish and out of sorts. Two things he could barely contend with. Eliot didn't appreciate any dulling of his senses. Downing a few cold ones and a shot or two was one thing, but high doses of narcotics were another altogether. Bleary, barely focused eyes traveled form the needle in the crook of his arm to the machine it was attached to, and he knew that in some fashion he would regret it, but clearing his head took precedence over dulling the pain. So with numb and swollen fingers that hardly seemed adequate to the task he peeled back the tape and expertly withdrew the needle, heedless of the fact that the drug in the line continued to drip down on to the floor as it were; as he tossed it aside and let it fall where it would.

With a grunt he forced himself up onto his elbows, feeling the way his arm shook at the effort he sneered and used the control on the bed to raise the head. He'd just take a few moments to clear his head and muster his strength and then; then he'd get up out of bed and put on some clothes and get himself up and out of here. Glancing over at the chair against the wall he saw a trim cut black leather bomber styled jacket, that he knew was Parker's. Marginally more workable fingers curled at the edge of his blanket and he brought the soft fur up to his shoulder and closed his eyes. He only half remembered the previous night, but he knew that she had been here with him. He remembered waking, in the dark, and feeling her warm, soft figure curled up against his side and knowing that he could go back to sleep and that he was safe. Obviously, since her coat was still here she couldn't be far off, but that didn't change his plans. He only waited another minute before he shifted his hips and pulled back the blanket. He found himself glad for the fact that when the thief had left his bed that she hadn't put the bed bars back up. With is hands in the condition they were in he would have had a hell of a time putting that bar down. With slow, calculated motions he planted his bare feet on the cold tile floor and carefully pushed himself up to standing, testing the strength in his injured knee to make sure the limb would hold his weight before he took a first step forward, planting his forearm on the tray table to keep his balance as he shifted his other foot into place. It seemed like it took forever, limping and shuffling his way across the room to the closet where his clothes were. But he managed the trip without mishap and then with his jeans and shirt thrown over his more wounded arm he found his way back to the bed and after pulling the curtain closed for some privacy began fumbling with the string ties on the back of the gown and slipping it down over his arms.

Parker had borrowed his jacket and set out on a mission; the nurses had been positive that while Eliot's surgery had gone well that he'd be feeling groggy when he woke up and that he wouldn't be up to speaking for a few days. Soft food and more ice chips were on the diet plan, and as soon as she saw the offerings for breakfast she knew she had to do something. Ice chips were bad enough; she knew she had tasted them the night before, but oatmeal and soft scrambled eggs...disgusting. So she had left, just long enough to find something more palatable. A quick round of the cafeteria produced nothing, but if everything she had heard about hospital food was true, well she wasn't surprised by the slim pickings. Finding those cupboards seemingly bare she took her chanced and headed outside; wrapped in his brown leather coat she pulled it up to her nose and caught the scent of Eliot in the fabric and smiled. That was when she saw it, the perfect accompaniment to a diet of shaved ice chips...and with no vendor in sight she had no choice but to snatch the cut glass bottle and slipped it into the lining of Eliot's jacket with a glee filled smirk on her lips as she swiftly changed direction and headed back inside.

When she arrived in the room she was surprised to see the curtains closed around his bed and figuring a nurse was in with him she knocked on the door and called out.

"Hidey-Ho..."

All that she got in return was a rough and raspy reply from his side of the curtains.

"Hey."

Parker pushed the curtain back and stepped to the end of the bed, eyes widened as she saw Eliot standing beside it his black and purple pinstriped shirt pulled on over his shoulders but unbuttoned, and his jeans up over his hips, hanging open while he fumbled with the fly.

"What are you doing? Your supposed to be in bed."

"I was, now I'm not."

She winced hearing his voice, and knowing from the sound of it that his throat was still raw and swollen.

"The nurse said you'd still be sleeping, probably wouldn't be going home for another day or two."

"They don't know me."

"Obviously. I got you something."

She took a seat on the edge of the bed and set her burden down on the tray table. Eliot laughed soundlessly as he took a look at the bottle of pink flavored liquid, recognizing it from snow cone vendor from out on the park side of the hospital.

"Strawberry?"

Parker shook her head no with a smirk. "Watermelon."

She reached out and upended the bottle over what remained of the ice chips in his little paper cup.

"I'm not going to get you back into bed am I?"

"Not unless you join me, and lock the door sweetheart."

He grinned wickedly and paused in his efforts to button his jeans, letting his hands fall to the side inviting her to help him either off with them or to fasten the button. He found himself uncertain as to which action on her part would please him more. He was willing to delay his release for the right incentive.

"Here? You want to make out with me, here?"

Parker looked around the room, abashed at the thought of having sex in a hospital. Eliot was still smirking, obviously he did not suffer from the same qualms. That leering smirk on his lips made Parker raise an eyebrow and question him further.

"You haven't have you...Oh my God, you have? In a hospital?"

"Yeap."

"In the bed?"

He nodded. "Yeap."

"You were the patient?"

"Three broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and a punctured lung..."

"She was..."

"A nurse."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Why would you be?"

"Are you in the habit of seducing the women that take care of you when your hurt?"

"Sometimes."

"And when your better, do you see them again."

"Not before now."

"Why now?"

"Your different, I knew that before we started this."

It was Parker's turn to smile then as she inched up closer to him on the bed, and brought the cup of now flavored ice chips along with her.

"You sound horrible."

She brought the spoon up to his lips and he took it in his mouth, making sure his tongue lapped on the underside of the spoon as he met her gaze and held it. Parker bit her bottom lip and looked away first, with a blush of pink coloring her cheeks. Even so part of her was imagining slipping her hands into his open shirt and easing him back onto the bed. Those very thoughts saw her blush deepen as she scooped up another spoon of watermelon ice and held it out to him. This time he took the ice into his mouth and then started brushing his cold lips against her curled fingers.

"Well..."

She cleared her throat and pushed those thoughts from her mind as she set the cup aside and rose to her feet.

"Your obviously well enough to go home."

"Then I guess you better help me get dressed. Pity though..."

"Wait until I get you home."

The staff was none too happy, but their opinions of his level of recovery didn't mean much to Eliot, and Parker trusted him to know if he was capable of being discharged. He would sign himself out AMA, and while they were waiting for the paperwork Nate and Sophie would arrive with the car. Eliot leaned on Parker with an arm across her shoulders, but the heavy brace on his knee had been down graded to an ace wrap and it was obvious that his condition was finally improving. And while Parker was very happy to see him on the mend, it was also sad for her knowing their time alone was also coming to an end. Gone would be his relying on her, gone would be the movies, and dinners, the time just spent curled up under the blanket on the couch with him dozing in her arms. He would go back to his one bedroom apartment and she would go back to her steel box hangar...and she would be alone...she had always been alone. Until she had become part of this team, now they were her family and it didn't bother her to spend her time away from them in the vast near empty plane hangar. She filled those hours with perfecting her skills, working out new rigs, practicing her craft. But lately she had filled those hours, all of her hours with nothing but Eliot. And even though he promised her that things between them had changed and that he wanted her around, she was certain that in time he would forget her, forget them and they would both go back to what they had known and done before this.

And the thought of it made her want to kick him flat in that injured knee.

But she didn't, instead she walked him into their apartment, the place that had become home and helped him get settled on the couch. Brought him a cold beer and a pain pill and pulled off his boots. He was laying there, with his knees over her lap when she laid down gently, resting her cheek on his chest, finding the just right place over his heart where she could hear the steady thumping beats.

She found the words almost impossible to speak, she simply did not want to say them aloud. It would make them too real, she would so much have rather pretended this would last forever, for just a few moments longer. But she knew that would only be delaying the inevitable.

"I'm kind of going to miss this place. I mean I can't practice repelling here, the ceiling beams would never hold a rig and they are way too low...but it was, it was nice...while it lasted."

Eliot laid there in silence letting what she said sink in and deciding how he felt about it. He wondered if Parker was growing tired of taking care of him. God knew he hadn't always been easy to deal with. But she had never seemed to grow impatient or angry, even when he had. It had been nice, but she was right to think that he was on his way to recovering. In a few days he'd be on his feet entirely, a few weeks and he'd start rehabilitating one of his hands, a few more weeks and he'd get them both back. Somewhere in there they would move out of here, go back to their respective lives. And while he wouldn't miss having to have someone wash his hair and help him fix meals he would miss her. He'd miss having someone to cook with, someone that was amazed with those old movies he had seen a hundred times, someone warm and sweet and funny to wake up to in the morning. Even if she happened to be munching cereal in his ear at dawn. He wouldn't miss being laid up, but he'd miss being with her. Granted they'd see each other constantly, they were a team and that wasn't changing, but...it would be different. It wouldn't be this. At the end of the day they would go home, to their respective lives, they would go home alone. And while he knew how he felt about it, he was not sure what she was feeling. Parker was...well she was Parker and she was hard to read at the best of times. Impossible to figure out when it came to complicated emotional things like this.

"Yeah, it's a nice place. I'm kind of going to miss it myself. But it's not like we won't see one another. I bet Nate has a hundred clients lined up. He's just waiting for the right moment to ask me if I'm ready to go back to work."

"And are you? I mean, ready to go back to work, go back to the way things were?"

"I'm getting there. It's just a matter of time now."

"Yeah, just time...then things go back to normal."

"But who's to say what's normal?"

Parker sat up a bit then and looked into his eyes, he was smiling softly. She was not the only one that wasn't good at big emotional displays. He was not exactly all about the sharing and caring himself. But he wanted to try and that had to count for something.

"Normal...you know...robbing the rich to give to the poor, like Little Red Riding Hood."

"Robin Hood sweetheart, like Robin Hood."

"I thought Robin Hood was the one with the wolves..."

"Little Red Riding Hood had the wolf, hun."

"No, I mean they were wolves, no they were foxes; that's right."

"Oh, yeah...that's the Disney version."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. This he really was going to miss.

"There's another version?"

She laid her head back to his shoulder and closed her eyes. She would have said more but there seemed to be this lump forming in her throat and it made speaking very difficult.

Eliot closed his eyes too and held her there, close to him feeling the warmth of her body against his as he told her a story about a deposed English Lord and an unjust King, and the Lady Fair that he loved more than life itself...and yeah they robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.


	21. Chapter 21

True to Eliot's estimation he was well back on his feet within a week of his surgery. Only a slight limp marked his injury, and he kept an elastic athletic brace strapped around the knee just to make sure it stayed stable, but unless you knew him really well and had studied the way he normally moved then you would have no idea.

In short, the team noticed he was still nursing the limb, but only Parker realized when he was pushing it too far and began to favor it. The Spendler's were scheduled to move out of their apartment by months end. Giving the 'couple' two weeks longer to pack and move on to their respective lives. Every day of those two weeks was torture and joy mixed for the both of them. Parker often remarked on how well he was doing as every day Eliot proved himself a bit more capable in some small way.

"Pretty soon Sparky you won't need me at all."

She smiled to him one morning as she buttoned his shirt over the hard muscles of his chest. He nodded, she was right pretty soon he wouldn't need her to take care of him. But if she thought he didn't still want her she was even crazier than he had ever believed. He tried to prove it to her every night, with every kiss, every touch he tried to tell her that he was not getting over her the same way he was healing from his wounds. But neither of them were very good at talking about what they felt, or even really feeling what they felt so the all important words just remained unsaid.

With only two days to go Parker found herself awake in the middle of the night, staring down at Eliot while he slept at her side and formulating a desperate plan. The next day just after lunch Sophie arrived to keep Eliot company while Parker left to take care of some business. To say the least Eliot was surprised, and he argued that he did not need a babysitter anymore. But Parker insisted, because the truth was she needed to be certain that he would be kept occupied for the few hours she would be gone.

By the time she finished what she needed to do she would arrive at the apartment to find Sophie and Nate all sitting in the living room listening to Eliot rant about the events of the day. Seems there had been a fire in Eliot's old apartment. Bad wiring in the kitchen, and the place was a mess of fire and water damage. The fire department had been called quickly and only minimal damage had been done to the apartment below him. But his place wouldn't be ready in two days that was for certain. Nate was offering him the couch at his place, but with him and Sophie already there it would be a little crowded and a lot uncomfortable. He didn't know if he could handle listening to Hardison at the keyboard all night talking to his cow friends or elf friends or whoever played that game he liked on the computer so much. And honestly, with everything that had happened he didn't think he and Alec were a good idea for roommates.

Parker crossed the living room to drop a bag of groceries in the kitchen. She'd stopped at the farm market on her way back and picked them up some fresh produce, including those fancy tomatoes he liked so much and a bag of assorted apples that she had chosen primarily by the color of them. She liked the deep reds and bright greens and knew which ones were sweet and which ones tart, but hadn't bothered to remember their names. She returned to the living room, eating one of them, a yellow one and perched at the end of the couch next to Nate, looking over to Eliot as he finished describing all that he had lost in the fire. Mostly he was upset about his books, he didn't have a lot of keepsakes, but some of the volumes had been rare, or held some degree of sentimental value to him. Everything else could be easily replaced.

"That's horrible." She piped in when he paused, and then after listening more she made a suggestion. "Why don't I call the land lord here? You said it before you like the apartment, and most of your clothes are already here. It would at least be a good place to stay while you look for something else. I'm sure they wouldn't mind letting us stay."

Sophie caught the us before anyone else did and moved in swiftly to deflect any attention from it before Eliot or Nate paid it much attention. She was already suspecting that Parker's errands might have had something to do with Eliot's homelessness. Leave it to the thief to decide that something as extreme as setting his apartment on fire was easier, better than telling him how she felt.

"That's an excellent idea Parker. Your already established here, comfortable here and the owners aren't expected back for months. It would really be doing them a favor if you stayed, it would be difficult to find another tenant to occupy the place for a partial year."

Eliot was still understandably upset, obviously his very few keepsakes meant a lot to him. Parker sat down beside him and moved to run her fingers through his hair but he was way too pissed off to be coddled like a child over his loss. It wasn't like he was in pain and accepting the comfort of her touch, this was entirely different. He pulled away from her and waved her hand away with a bulky bandaged hand before getting up and heading to the kitchen for a beer.

Parker was left sitting on the couch with her hands folded in her lap and head hanging. It dawned on her then that she hadn't really thought out the entire plan, she had just gotten an idea in her head and acted on it. All she had needed was his key, a few boxes and some needle nose pliers. It had been easy as pie, except that she hadn't considered how upset Eliot would be, or how she'd give him back his belongings. She looked up to Sophie and sighed, gaze dropping back into her lap as she spoke.

"Now what do I do?"

"Oh Parker, I wish you would have asked me that before you had gone and done anything."

Nate chimed in then, finally catching up to speed on the conversation that the women we having without him.

"Parker, you...you didn't...arson? Why?"

Even though they were all talking in very hushed tones Eliot was hardly far away and he heard the word arson very clearly.

"Arson? You think someone set fire to my place on purpose?"

"Well, yeah. I mean Eliot you have enemies. Another good reason why the two of you should stay here, these alias's are clean. No one will be looking for Ethan and Alice. And that will give us some time to investigate the fire."

Nate, as always, made complete and perfect sense, although it didn't make Eliot feel any better it at least got Parker off the hook for a little while. As far as replacing his treasures and belongings; that was something Parker would have to figure out later.

"Parker, you should go. No matter how clean the identities are, if someone set fire to my place they could track us here and I don't want you in the middle of that."

Eliot stood over Parker, a bottle of Heineken in almost useful hand. He looked down at her like she was a child, or some weak little woman that needed him to protect her and that expression on his face after everything she had done for him just raised a fire in her that was so evident it lit up her big blue eyes with something almost electrical. She shook her head no as she geared up for one of 'those' arguments. Eliot's opinions were not easy to change when he got an idea into his thick stubborn skull.

"No way Sparky. I'm not leaving you here alone if someone is coming after you. You can't exactly fight them off on your own yet."

She spoke matter of factly as she looked up to him and shook her head in the negative. There was no way she would just leave him now to fight his own battles, even if the foes were somewhat imaginary at present. Next time they wouldn't be and they might as well have it out now.

"What are you gonna do, fight them off for me?"

And now he was going to get all condescending with her? Really? He almost laughed at the thought of Parker beating up the bad guys for him. It was real sweet and all and even he would have to admit that she had some skills. She had picked up everything he had ever taught her really damn fast. But hand to hand combat? That was his gig and not hers.

She stood up then and he had to take a step back as she moved forward, each word she spoke was punctuated with a finger pressed right into his chest. And when he stepped back to get away from her poking digit she just stepped in closer.

"Your damn right I will. You think after all the time and work I put into getting you better I'm going to let anyone hurt you again?"

"Parker I appreciate that really, but I can take care of myself."

He grabbed her wrist and wrapped his fingers around it as well as he could, and held it there in between the two of them as the fight took a softer turn.

"I know that. You always could...but you don't have to anymore."

"Yeah I do. The same way I'm supposed to take care of you and Sophie...Nate and Hardison...it's my damn job."

"I am not your damn job!"

So much for softer, she snapped her hand out of his grasp and balled her fists up at her sides in rage.

"Yes, you are Parker..."

"No I'm not you said so yourself...you said I was more than that."

"Parker that's not what I meant. I'm just saying that I'm the one who takes care of others, it's not supposed to be the other way around. I take the hits, so none of you have to. I stand in the way when anything is coming at my team and I stop it. If you need to get out, I give you the window. And that means if I'm in trouble that I can take care of it myself, and I will. You don't need to get involved in my trouble."

Eliot sighed and tried to back track and explain himself, and he could tell that his words were having some effect on her and that he had at least partially said the right thing. He had told her that she was more to him than just part of his job, that what they had was different than what he had shared with other women in his past. And he had meant it, but saying it and knowing just how to act on it were very different things and he was confused as to how to proceed.

"Damn it Eliot I am involved in your trouble."

"No...no your not...you can leave now, you'll be safe..."

He cared about her more than he wanted to admit, even to himself. He knew that what had happened between them would change the way he did his job. That he'd find himself watching out for her on a case more than he did the others. That he'd pause to the sound of her voice over the com. What he hadn't realized was that he had already been doing just that for so long now that it wouldn't be a detriment to the team.

"I can't leave you now. Don't you understand that?"

She closed her eyes and dropped her chin, not defeated but just amazed at how dense a man really could be. Her first real relationship with a man and he was as thick headed as a cement block wall. Sophie had always warned her though. According to the grifter most men were about the same in that respect. God knew Nate was. But Sophie had also told her that there were ones that were worth all the trouble, the very best ones and there was no doubt in Parker's mind that Eliot Spencer was one of them.

"Why not, give me one good reason why the hell not."

"Because I love you."

Eliot stopped there, he didn't have much of anything to say to that. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had heard those words said to him. And he knew in his heart that Parker meant them in every sense possible and that if he made her walk out that door the crazy little thief would just climb back in through a window.

"And that's why you have to go...because I love you too."

Parker felt a lump rise in her throat, and although it felt the same as the one she got when she had her hands on that fist sized amethyst in Mozambique in 2004, the emotion behind it was slightly different. Because she would have thrown that shiny purple rock in the garbage for Eliot.

"No one is coming after us here Eliot. I'm the one that set fire to your apartment. But I packed all your stuff first and it's in my hangar."

She quickly added in that his possessions were safe, because she figured he'd forgive her for what she had done if he knew that he hadn't really lost anything important.

"Why would you do that? Are you nuts?"

He only realized what he had said after he had said it, talk about a rhetorical question.

"Yeah you keep saying so but I...I didn't want you to leave me. I'm sorry."

"It's okay Parker."

He laughed as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead and wrapped his clumsy arms around her to hold her close.

Eliot Spencer had no idea what he was getting himself into entirely. But he did know that his life with Parker would never be boring that was for sure.

THE END


End file.
